Ascension
by changedbyEdward
Summary: My romantic alternate to Breaking Dawn. Bella and Edward marry and have a romantic honeymoon that is cut short by some 'complications.' After their return to Forks, they must deal with what must come next. All Canon Pairings. Lots of romantic lemons.
1. Chapter 1 Nightmares and Preparations

Ascension

Chapter 1 – Nightmares and Preparations

BPOV

I woke with a start looking wildly around my bedroom. I found what I was looking for in my rocking chair in the corner, already moving towards me.

"Bella?" Edward said.

"I'm fine," I lied.

Edward wrapped his cool arms around me and breathed into my hair. "No you're not. I can hear your heart racing. Was it another nightmare?"

I wrapped my arms around his cool, hard body and pushed my head into his chest. I consciously tried to slow my heart rate down but the memories of the nightmare were still swirling in my head and I couldn't seem to relax.

Edward gently placed me back on my bed and sat next to me rubbing my back softly. I sat there with my head buried in his chest, my breath heaving against my desire to have him believe that I was okay. My heart rate had not slowed at all.

Edward pulled my chin up so he could see my face. I tried to rearrange my face so that I looked calm but knew that he could see right through all of this. Tears welled in my eyes as he stared into them. "Please Bella, tell me what is wrong. I can't fix it if I don't know what it is."

The tears rolled down my cheeks and I stared back into his honey eyes. "Really Edward, I'm fine, I just, I just, I need you to be with me, to hold me." I bit my lip. _Should I go on?_

Edward never stopped looking into my eyes with that frustrated look he always had when he really wanted to be able to read my thoughts but couldn't. "I'm here Bella, you know that. I am not going to leave you."

I studied his face. He was telling the truth. I took a deep breath and inhaled his scent. I wondered idly if he knew that his scent drove me nearly as mad as my scent drove him, and then I finally spoke the truth about my nightmares, hoping I wouldn't hurt him.

"Edward, the nightmares, they are always about me losing you, one way or another. Sometimes it is you leaving me again, sometimes you succeeded in Italy, sometimes it is the Volturi killing you later, but they always have the same theme, they have me losing you, and I can't stand it Edward, I can't take it!" My voice was getting ever shriller and I noted that Edward glanced at my bedroom door towards Charlie's room.

We both sat silently waiting for Charlie's snores so start again. If Charlie caught Edward spending every single night in my bedroom, I knew he would not be very understanding, nor would he allow either of us to explain.

Edward sighed and breathed his cool sweet-smelling breath into my face. He looked back into my eyes and let his lips briefly sweep across mine. Then he kissed both of my cheeks kissing the tears away. "I'm so sorry Bella. I'm so sorry that I put you through that. You are never going to get over it are you?"

I had hurt him. Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut? I hugged him tightly. I didn't know what to say. I trusted him now that he would not ever leave me, but apparently my subconscious mind had not totally forgiven him for leaving me in the forest that way, for convincing me that he didn't love me and didn't want me. Even after everything we had been through, I could not totally trust him with all of my heart and mind. The wedding was only days away and I was still having these crazy nightmares. I sighed into Edward's chest.

He pulled my face up to meet his gaze again and kissed me softly again. "Bella, in a few days I am going to bind my existence to yours. I want nothing more than to be with you, forever. I wish you could let this go and trust me completely, but I know that it is difficult for you, after everything…" He trailed off and just stared into my eyes.

"I'm sorry Edward. I didn't mean to hurt you. I trust you, I love you. I know you are not going to leave me. Apparently, my subconscious just doesn't realize it yet. When you left it was….difficult." I was having a hard time finding the right words to describe it. We had been over this so many times in the last months.

If Edward could cry, he would now. I saw and felt his shoulders heave in what could only be a sob. He was crying a tearless cry and it was my fault. I reached for him, tried to comfort him, but he pulled away.

"Bella I don't know what I can ever do to help you to forgive me completely, but I will spend an eternity trying."

At this, I smiled. _An eternity with Edward._ It always made me smile. For this, I could not wait. My lips sought his and I took his face in my hands, pulling it to mine. This time he let me. I kissed him fervently and he kissed me back, always holding back, but still passionate.

Finally, my heart rate under control, Edward laid me back onto my bed and covered me up. He lay down next to me with his cool arms around me and started humming my lullaby. I fell asleep in record time, and for the first time in months, my dreams were sweet ones.

I awoke a few hours later to find Edward's arms still wrapped around me. I turned to look at him and he smiled my favorite crooked smile. "Charlie is gone already. I could not see that he was compelled to check on you, so I stayed."

I was so happy that Edward had been there when I awakened that I forgot what day it was. Suddenly I realized when I heard the knock at the door.

"Alice" we both said in unison.

I jumped out of bed and began running around the room. I was supposed to be finalizing wedding plans with Alice today and here I was lounging in my bed until 10 am, when we were supposed to be leaving.

Edward lay on my bed for a moment, watching me, smiling. Finally he got up and went downstairs as the knocking became more urgent. I heard Alice call, "Bella? Is everything all right?" Edward then opened the door and I could hear them speaking in hushed voices.

I tore into the bathroom and ran through the shower. I jumped out, combed my hair, and brushed my teeth. I pulled on the jeans and shirt I had brought with me and dashed out of the bathroom, running smack into Alice in the hallway. We both laughed. "I'm almost ready!" I shouted.

I charged back into my bedroom and found Edward sitting on the edge of my bed watching me. I ran to him and threw my arms around him surprising him. I knew he didn't like these kinds of surprises because it didn't give him time to prepare for my scent to wash over him, but right now I didn't care. I felt so much love for him I only wanted to be near him. Edward stiffened a little but then put his arms around me and pulled me into his lap kissing me. Alice laughing in the doorway stopped us both.

"I was not," Edward said. I knew he was answering Alice's thoughts. I hated being left out of these conversations but wasn't sure I wanted to know what Alice had seen.

Alice just smiled and said, "We are on a schedule Edward. You need to say your goodbyes and get lost so we can get done what we need to do today!"

Edward begrudgingly broke loose his hold on me and stood me up. He swiftly stood and leaned down for his lips to brush mine. "I'll see you tonight Bella, at my house." I had almost forgotten that I was to spend the night with Alice tonight. I gasped.

"What's wrong Bella?"

"Nothing Edward, I just remembered that I didn't pack for tonight yet."

Edward laughed and I turned to see what he was laughing at. Alice already had my overnight bag in her hand, obviously full. I should have known that Alice would pack for me, knowing that I had not done it yet.

I turned back to Edward and said, "I guess we should be going," I kissed him one more time and watched him glide gracefully out of my window. I turned back to Alice and said, "Okay Alice. Where are we going today?"

Alice laughed her musical laugh and said, "You'll see." I hated surprises.

We went downstairs and out the door to Carlisle's Mercedes. I climbed in the passenger door and saw Rosalie sitting in the back seat looking annoyed. "Morning Rosalie," I said.

She grumbled, "Morning Bella. Took you long enough."

Alice jumped in the car and tore out of the driveway. I pulled my seatbelt on and closed my eyes. _More Cullen driving. Would I ever get used to this?_

I silently wondered why Rosalie had agreed to join us. She had not been keen on the idea of me joining their family, for what I knew were selfish reasons, and it made me slightly uncomfortable with her presence.

Alice began to speak and I soon realized why Rosalie had come. We were going shopping for my gift for Edward today. Everyone knew that I was having difficulty finding a gift that suited my 108-year-old vampire fiancé who already had everything in the world that he wanted. I had asked every member of the family, even Rosalie, for ideas. Nobody had seemed to have any. Esme had told me not to get him a gift as my marriage to him would be gift enough, but I desperately wanted to give him something.

Alice said we were going to Seattle by way of the house. I thought maybe Rosalie was staying at the house but Alice quelled this thought by saying, "I need to drop your bag by the house. There won't be room for it when we get done today." Just as she said this, we turned into the tree and brush hidden driveway leading to the Cullen house. My heart quickened a beat hoping that I would get to see Edward again but again Alice spoke, "Edward won't be here Bella, he is hunting. He will be hunting every day until the wedding so that he will be … full." She laughed as she said this and Rosalie even cracked a smile. I knew what they were thinking and my cheeks flushed.

Alice parked the car, pulled my bag out of the trunk, and went in the house. I turned to Rosalie and said, "You can sit up front Rosalie. I would rather be in back anyway."

"Thanks Bella. Are you sure?"

I nodded. I was sure. Rosalie and I changed places quickly as Alice danced back to the car.

After climbing in, Alice took out of the driveway as if we were being pursued. Her cell phone rang. Alice giggled and answered it, "Yes Edward, what you want?" Apparently, he had been close enough to the house to know we were there. She smiled, "Yes Edward, we will take care of Bella! You should not even need to tell me that!" She snorted after that and laughed loudly. "Good bye big brother." She hung up.

I pouted that I didn't get to talk to him, but decided it was probably a moot point anyway.

Alice turned on the stereo and found some hard rock music. I gazed out the window at the trees flashing by like so many blurs. Alice and Rosalie were silent and so was I. Before I knew it, we were in Seattle. I must have fallen asleep for part of the trip, either that or it was so fast that time stood still. I decided not to ask.

Alice made several turns and then asked Rosalie, "Aren't we almost there?" Rosalie nodded and smiled.

"Where are we going?" I asked quietly, hoping one of them would tell me what the big mystery was. Nobody answered. Both of them just stared out the window with a knowing smile on their faces. Finally, the car came to a stop in front of two antique stores. I was curious.

Alice jumped out of the car and flung open my door. "Come on Bella, this is it."

Rosalie got out and looked around while placing her wide-brimmed hat firmly on her head. Alice was also wearing a wide-brimmed hat and I realized that the sun was out.

We walked up to the sidewalk and I stopped.

"What are we looking for Alice?"

"A gift for your groom, Bella. I think you will find, no, I know you will find something here."

I trusted Alice and said, "Which one?"

Alice ran to the door of the one on the left and opened it. "This one!" she sang. I glanced over at Rosalie and she swept her hand gracefully as if to tell me to go first.

I timidly walked inside and looked around. It smelled dusty and old. I glanced around at all the old furniture and books and odd items that were there and could not imagine what I might find for Edward in here. I looked at Alice and she urged me forward. I began walking through the store looking and then I saw it.

On my right was a long glass case and inside it was exactly what I was looking for. Of course, Alice had known this all along. She just wanted me to find it.

I walked over to the case and the elderly man who had been standing at the back of the store made his way towards us. I looked down into the case at the silver locket lying there. It was perfect. Once the elderly gentleman had made his way to us, he smiled and said, "Is there something I can show you ladies?"

"Yes," I breathed, "Can I please see that locket?"

He pulled it gingerly out of the case and handed it to me. I turned it over in my hand. It had a place for a chain but the chain was missing. I opened it and there were two pictures in it, a man's picture on the left side and a woman's picture on the right. They were very old. I looked up at the elderly gentleman and asked if he knew anything about the locket, how old it was, who the people were. He told me that the locket was from the early 1900's, around 1910 or so, and that he didn't know who the people were, but that the pictures could be removed. I turned it over and over in my hands wondering at how Alice could have seen me looking for this. I looked at her and at Rose. Both of them were smiling. They both nodded their heads at me and I told the man that I would take it.

He asked if we wanted to look around some more, but I told him that was all we needed for today. He only charged me $40 for the locket and I felt like I was ripping him off, but he assured me that was all he wanted for it. I felt like I was almost dancing as we walked out of the store and climbed back into the car.

"How did you know Alice?"

"I saw us come shopping today and saw us coming here for you to find Edward's gift. I didn't know for sure what it was until we got to the store, but I knew that you would find it here because I had seen us leaving after you purchased something" she said and shrugged.

Rosalie spoke up and said, "We need to find the jeweler and the photographer Alice. We have to get this done today. There is not much time."

I realized they intended for me to get a picture taken today and put in the locket. I looked down at the pictures of the two people in the locket and wondered idly who they were.

We went to a jewelry store next. I knew what I wanted to do with the locket. I wanted to put a chain on it and attach it to a pocket watch. When we stepped inside, I gasped at all the jewelry. I had not paid attention to what store we were at, but this was not a cheap jewelry store, this was more like Tiffany's. I looked at Alice but she prodded me on, "Don't worry about it," she whispered.

The jeweler met us at the counter. "May I help you?" he smiled. He was looking at Rosalie and I thought he was probably taken in by her beauty and her wonderful scent. She smiled and said, "My sister Bella," and gestured to me, "is in need of your services today, George." I didn't even flinch that Rosalie had referred to me as her sister. I was more shocked that she knew the jeweler by name.

He turned to me and said, "Well Bella, what can I do for you today?"

I held the locket out to him and said, "I am getting married in a few days and this is going to be my gift for Edward." He looked me over carefully and then said, "So you are the one?" and he glanced at Rosalie and Alice who both smiled and nodded. I was completely lost by all this so I blundered on, "Yes, I guess I am. I would like to have this locket chained to a pocket watch and the watch engraved. Is that possible?"

George smiled and nodded at me. "I suppose you will be needing this done today?"

I nodded and said, "That would be wonderful. I'm very sorry for the short notice." I looked at the floor embarrassed.

George did not miss a step. He pulled out a piece of paper and told me to write what I wanted engraved exactly how I wanted it engraved. He explained that the engraving would be in my handwriting.

"You have pictures you want in here?" George asked.

Alice pulled an envelope out of her purse and handed it to George. She looked at me and said, "Edward's mother. I thought you would like to put her in there too." I nodded my approval.

Alice turned back to George and said, "We will bring the other picture back later today George. Will that work?"

George agreed and headed for a case in the back of the store. He returned with three beautiful silver pocket watches. I chose one and handed it back to him. He smiled and returned the other two.

I stared at the blank piece of paper. What on earth was I thinking? I had no idea what to write. I looked to Rosalie and to Alice for help but they both shrank away from me and started looking at the jewelry counters ooh-ing and ah-ing at everything. I picked up the pen and then it came to me. I wrote down the short note I wanted engraved and read it. It was perfect.

When George returned he took the paper from me, read it, and smiled. Alice and Rosalie were back at my side.

"About three hours?" George said. I looked at Alice and she nodded. George smiled and said, "See you then ladies."

As we approached the door, I turned back and said, "George? Would you please keep the pictures that are already in the locket for me?" He nodded and we headed out to our next destination.

"Alice, you knew what it would be didn't you?"

"Well, yes, I knew. I saw Edward pulling it out of his pocket in a vision I had of the wedding. I thought it was a great idea and did some research"

I smiled at her and said, "You are the best, Alice." She smiled back at me in the rear view mirror. I was very happy with my choices. Now all I had to do was sit still for a quick picture and I would be done.

We drove up in front of a photographer's studio and got out of the car. Alice went to the trunk and pulled out two bags I had not noticed earlier. One was a garment bag, and the other looked like a huge makeup bag. I just shook my head. Stopping Alice was like stopping a freight train at full speed.

We entered the photographer's studio and I looked around at all the portraits that decorated the walls. Alice went to the desk and made the necessary arrangements. Alice, Rosalie, and I went to the back room and found a large dressing room. Alice immediately took over. "Rose, please start on her hair, you know what I was thinking," she said.

Rosalie started brushing and twirling my hair and Alice started putting makeup on me. I just closed my eyes and let them work. I knew that protesting would be pointless. I felt Alice's hands on my face smearing and smudging the way she always did when she was making me up. Rosalie was as gentle on my head as possible. When Alice was done with my face, I heard her unzip the garment bag. I opened my eyes and glanced over to see what she had. It was a beautiful sapphire blue dress, Edward's favorite color on me, and it looked vintage. Rose was done with my hair and they both proceeded to assist me out of my shirt and jeans and put the dress on me. Alice didn't bother with shoes stating, "You won't need shoes for this picture."

Once I was ready to Alice and Rosalie's satisfaction, we entered the studio. A very large man was there waiting for us. I saw that he had a beautiful English Garden background set up with lots of flowers and a big wooden swing on ropes in front of it hanging from a tree that looked very real. I knew immediately what Alice had been thinking and knew that it was the most perfect picture. I went over and sat in the swing.

The photography session didn't take long thankfully and we went to the computer to look at the results. We picked out two of the portraits, one for the locket, and one as a large portrait for Edward's room. I changed back into my jeans and went to the desk to pay for the portraits but found that Alice had already paid for them. "I wanted to be a part of giving the portrait to Edward if you don't mind Bella. It will be a gift to him from you, Rosalie, and me. Do you mind?" I looked to Rosalie who nodded and smiled. I shrugged at Alice and said, "If you both feel that strongly about it, it's fine with me." Alice laughed her beautiful tinkling laugh and said, "Let's get out of here. The portraits will be ready in two hours and we have errands to run!"

As the car took off, I noticed that I was starving, but didn't say anything. My stomach had other ideas however, and growled loudly. Alice said, "Oh Bella, I'm sorry. You have to remind me of these things!" We went through a drive-thru and picked up some food for me.

"What's next?" I asked.

"Well, we have to pick up Charlie's tuxedo and Rose needs to pick up her dress. We also need to pick up Esme's dress and I have just a few more items I need to pick up. We won't be long Bella. I know these trips make you uncomfortable, but we will be finished soon. By the time we get done with our errands, the portraits will be ready and we can pick them up, go to the jeweler, and then head home."

I was disappointed that we had to stop so many times, but relieved that Alice already had my dress at home. At least I would not have to change again. I thought about my wedding dress and knew that Alice had done a perfect job picking it out. It looked just like something that a bride would have worn in 1918 if Edward had married then. I knew that Edward was going to love it.

We stopped at the tuxedo rental place and picked up Charlie's tuxedo. Alice told me that Edward and Carlisle already had theirs. Next, we stopped at a bridal shop and Rose picked up her dress and Esme's dress. They were already safely in garment bags so I didn't get to see them. After that, we stopped at a party store and Alice walked out with what seemed like a thousand napkins, plates, cups, plastic silverware, streamers, ribbons, and other various decorative items. She also had about 25 boxes of strings of white lights. I tried not to look too upset at all the decorations she was buying and stayed silent on the way back to the photographer's shop.

The photos were ready and the large portrait had already been printed on canvas and stretched on a frame. I could hardly believe that the portrait was of me. It looked like a beautiful girl from the early 1900's sitting on her swing in her garden. The photo we had chosen was not one of me smiling at the camera. Instead, I was looking slightly away from it and looked thoughtful. I hugged Alice and Rosalie and thanked them for making the portrait such a perfect one for Edward. The small portrait was the perfect size for the locket and we made our way back to the jeweler.

George was smiling and waiting for our arrival. After he put the new picture in the locket, he proudly handed it to me. He had attached it to the watch with a nice removable clasp. I turned the watch over and read the engraving. It was perfect. I knew Edward was going to love it. I opened the locket and looked at the pictures. The picture of Edward's mother was on one side, and I was on the other. I smiled.

I thanked the jeweler and pulled out my billfold. Rosalie casually reached over me and pointed at the black credit card that looked glaringly like it did not belong in my wallet. I looked at her questioningly but she nodded. I handed the jeweler the credit card that Edward had given me. I didn't really think that making Edward pay for his own gift was fair, but when I saw the receipt, I decided that I would send all of my savings to that credit card and he would just have to pay for the rest.

As we left, Rosalie said, "Bella, you can't be afraid to use the credit card you know. It is yours. Edward got it for you. If I know Edward, he will never even look at the bill, just pay it and go on. He will probably even scold you if there isn't a bill, so you just need to use it. Just consider it your money, and then you won't have to worry about it so much." When she said this, she and Alice both laughed and Alice said, "Yeah, Bella, that's what we do!" I frowned and shook my head at them, but they probably knew much better than me what kind of financial position the Cullen's were all in so I promptly put it out of my head.

We got back in the car and Alice took off towards Forks at a great clip. I was happy for the day to be over and quickly fell asleep in the back seat with Edward's portrait next to me, wrapped neatly, and the jewelry box in my hand that held Edward's gift. I knew that I would have to give them to him tonight or Alice and Rosalie would be miserable trying to keep it from him. That was fine by me and I smiled as I drifted off anxious to be home.


	2. Chapter 2 Gifts

Ascension

Chapter 2 - Gifts

BPOV

It was almost dark when we arrived back at the Cullen house. I awoke as we turned into the driveway. Alice stopped the car and looked back at me. Rosalie then turned and looked at me as well. I didn't know for sure what was going on. Then, Alice said, "Bella, you are going to exchange gifts with Edward tonight, right?"

"Yes, of course," I answered. "I don't want you two to have to keep him out of your head forever."

They both laughed and thanked me. Alice continued up the driveway and pulled into the garage. Rosalie and Alice gathered up all the purchases of the day while I took the gifts. Alice whispered, "Let us go first." She looked over at Rosalie and both of them took a deep breath.

I waited in the garage until Alice returned and told me the coast was clear. We made our way up to Edward's bedroom where I laid the portrait on his bed. I kept the jewelry box in my hand. Alice grinned and hugged me and went to get Edward. I knew she and Rosalie were having a hard time keeping him out of their heads because Alice didn't say much and looked like she was concentrating very hard.

Even though I knew he was coming, my breath hitched and my heart rate went up exponentially when Edward entered the room. He strode across the room and grabbed me hugging me tightly, almost too tight. He leaned down, kissed me.

"Did you have a good day, Bella?"

I smiled up at him wrapping my one empty hand up in his hair like I always did and told him, "I had a wonderful day, despite the shopping."

"I'm glad to hear that, love."

"May I go ahead and give you my wedding gift now, Edward? I don't want Alice and Rose to have to hide them from you for very long. You are a bit difficult for them to hide things from," I said and grinned.

"Of course, love. Wait here a moment."

Edward charged out of the room. _What on earth could he be doing? _I stood motionless awaiting his return, which was about 2 seconds later.

When Edward returned he was holding something behind his back. "Who is going first, love?"

Alice and Rosalie appeared in the doorway and I winked at them and said, "I am."

Edward glanced at Alice and Rose, but said nothing and returned his gaze to me. I walked to the bed and picked up the wrapped portrait. He eyed me as he took it and turned it over gingerly in his strong hands.

"It's from all three of us, Edward. That's why they are here." I pointed at Alice and Rose.

He smiled widely as he tore the paper off and turned it around. He stopped breathing and his eyes glazed over. He gently put his hand on the portrait of my face and then pulled it away. He looked from one of us to the other and said, "This is wonderful. I love it. Thank you. Thank you all." He went to Alice and Rose and hugged them. They hugged him back and then they both skipped out of the room.

Edward sat down on the edge of the bed next to me looking lovingly at the portrait. He turned to me and said, "Bella, this is just so…perfect." I smiled and he kissed me. He looked at it again and smiled.

He put the portrait down, went to his dresser, and removed a small box that I had not noticed there. He came back to sit next to me and started to hand it to me and I said, "Wait, Edward. I'm not done."

"What? There can't be anything else. The portrait is perfect Bella!" He looked from me to the portrait and back again.

I smiled at him and thanked him for the sentiment but said, "There is only one more thing Edward. It is really the most important because it is only from me." He looked at me curiously.

I handed him the small box and he smiled at me with that crooked smile before he untied the ribbon and opened the box. He looked down at the contents for a moment, and looked back at me again.

"Well, take it out and look at it Edward."

He took the watch out of the box but didn't give it much of a glance. He immediately went to the locket and opened it. His eyes twinkled in the light as he looked at the pictures there. He looked at me with a knowing smile and handed me the small box he had. I took it out of his hand and said, "Keep looking Edward, it's engraved."

He turned the watch over and read the inscription on the watch aloud. "_Inside the locket are pieces of your soul. Guard them well. Love you forever, Bella."_

Edward's hands were actually shaking as he looked up at me. "Open your box," he whispered.

I looked at him, searching for something, and said, "You don't like it?"

"I love it Bella. Open your box, please?"

I looked down at the box in my hands and noticed it was the same kind of box with the same ribbon on it. I glanced up at him as I untied the ribbon. He was smiling at me.

I pulled the top off the box, and lying inside was a gorgeous silver heart-shaped locket. My hands started shaking as I picked it up. I looked at Edward and he was still smiling. I opened the locket and inside were two pictures. One was of Renee and Charlie. It was one of the pictures from when I was young and they were still together. The other picture was of Edward. As I closed locket and turned it over, I grinned foolishly.

I gasped as I read the words that were inscribed on the back in Edward's perfect handwriting.

"_Inside the locket are pieces of your soul. Guard them well. Love you forever, Edward."_

Tears were already streaming down my face when I looked back up at Edward. "How?" was all I could choke out.

"I don't know Bella. Maybe you are right and our souls are intertwined in destiny."

He reached for me and gathered me into his arms. I buried my face in his chest and let the silent tears of happiness roll down my face, staining his shirt.

Edward sat back and took my face in his hands. He gazed into my eyes with his beautiful eyes. I felt a familiar weakness wash over me. Edward was dazzling me again. I felt his cool breath on my face and then he said, "Bella, I have never received two more thoughtful gifts in my life, other than the gift of you. I love them. Thank you." He pulled me close again and buried his face in my hair. He was shaking as though crying.

I started crying anew and choked out, "I'm so happy that you like them. Thank you so much for the locket. I am just overcome that we both did the same thing."

Finally, Edward sat back and grinned. His eyes were sparkling and I was dazzled once again. I felt my body weaken and my mind became fuzzy. My head was swirling and I almost fell backwards, but Edward caught me, laughing. "What's wrong Bella?" he teased.

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what?" he said innocently.

"You're dazzling me again."

Edward laughed and took my locket from me, placing the chain around my neck. He dropped it down the front of my blouse. Then, he stood up and picked me up. He kissed me on the nose, and laid me down on the bed. He crawled up beside me and placed small kisses all over my face and neck. I blushed when he kissed the hollow of my throat and then trailed kisses down my chest to the top button of my blouse. Instinct took hold and I wrapped my fingers up in his hair.

"Better now?" he said.

"No."

"Do you need further resuscitation?"

"Yes."

At this, Edward swooped in and met my lips with a fervent kiss, stronger than I had ever felt from him. I thought I was not going to be able to breathe but just as panic entered the corner of my mind, he stopped.

"I'm sorry Bella. I just want you so much."

I was panting.

"I want you too Edward." I smiled up at him coyly. "It's only a couple of days…" and drew my fingers down the front of his shirt to his waistband.

Edward suddenly sat up and said, "No Bella. I'm not giving in. We are both stronger than that. This is the way that I want it and it is the way that it will be." Then his eyes softened and he placed a chaste kiss on my lips and said, "But it doesn't have to be easy," and he smiled.

I smiled back at him and said, "You know what? I think we are definitely destined to be together Edward. I think that Carlisle was driven to save you so that you would be here waiting for me."

Edward looked down at me smiling and gently shook his head. "Maybe you are right. I have to hope that you are anyway."

He laid his head against my chest and I wrapped my arms around him, entwining my fingers in his hair as I did so.

"I still don't think I deserve you, Bella. I don't feel worthy of the love you have for me."

"You are more than worthy, Edward."

We laid there for a long time. I could feel my heart beating against his face. His breathing was slow and quiet. There were no other sounds in the house and I soon drifted off to sleep.

That night I dreamt of flowers, ribbons, and rows of twinkling lights.


	3. Chapter 3 Last Day

Thanks to all who have added this story to their favorites! It makes it more fun to write when you know people are looking forward to reading it! A big thank you to my Beta Lillie Cullen!

**Ascension**

**Chapter 3 – Last Day**

**BPOV**

When the morning sun came through the window, I opened my eyes and realized that I was cold. Edward knew I was awake and immediately withdrew himself from me and started wrapping me up in the large fluffy comforter on the bed.

"I was shivering, wasn't I?"

"Yes, love, you were shivering, but you just started. Are you all right?"

I smiled back at him and nodded. My hand reached to the locket securely hung around my neck. "Yes, Edward. I am more than all right. I only have one more day to wait before you are mine forever."

"I think you might be getting used to this wedding thing."

"Yes, I am getting used to it. The more I think about it, and the closer it gets, the more I realize it is exactly what I want, a public proclamation that we belong to each other. After that, nothing and no one can ever come between us."

My stomach grumbled in protest and Edward laughed. "Time to feed the human I think!"

At this, the door flew open and there stood Alice, Rosalie, and Esme all beaming. Alice was holding a tray with the most delicious smelling breakfast on it. She glided over to me and placed it across my lap. They all came and sat on the edges of the bed smiling. I looked around at all of them, my sisters, my love, and my almost mother and began to tear up. "You are all so kind to me. I do not deserve it."

"Of course you do!" said Alice. "You have won the heart of our brother, and son," she looked at Esme, "and that makes you more than worthy!"

Esme and Rosalie nodded in agreement. Edward just smiled at me.

"So, Edward, how did the gift giving go?" asked Rosalie.

"Funny thing," Edward said, "we seem to have given each other the same thing only I got 3 gifts and Bella only got one." He flashed a mischievous grin in my direction.

We all laughed.

Alice said, "So the lockets, they are exactly alike?"

I took mine off and handed it to her and they all looked it over. Then they all turned to Edward and he pulled his pocket watch out with the locket attached and handed it to them. All of them shook their heads in disbelief. Edward and I were both beaming.

Everyone stayed to visit while I ate my breakfast, and Emmett and Jasper even stopped in to look at the lockets. Soon afterwards, Carlisle came in to have a peek.

After breakfast, everyone took their leave. Rosalie took my tray back to the kitchen and Edward and I were left alone again.

"Well, Miss Swan, what would you like to do on your last day as a 'free' woman?"

"As much as I would like to stay here and hide in bed all day, I think I should go home and spend the day with Charlie and Renee and get all of my things in order, if you don't mind."

"Of course not, love. I am ready to go when you are."

I cocked my head to the side curiously.

"There is no sense in you driving. Someone would just have to retrieve your car tomorrow, love."

I agreed and headed for the bathroom where I knew Alice would have put my things. After showering, combing my hair, and brushing my teeth, I looked at the things I had left there. I picked them up and put them back in my bag, and then set my bag on a shelf. No sense taking these things home. Tomorrow this would be my home.

Edward and I were quiet for most of the short drive back to Charlie's house. We both knew that today was going to be difficult for me. Edward asked me if I wanted him to leave me there and I said, "No, not yet. Stay a while. Besides, you need to get to know Renee a little better."

When we got to the house, Renee flung open the door and ran out to greet us. She hugged me tightly and then hugged Edward as well. We all walked into the house talking and laughing. Charlie was there in his chair with the TV on and he and Phil were watching a replay of a game. I knew that it had been difficult for him waiting for me to return home.

Charlie turned to me and said, "Did you get everything?"

"Yes dad, we got everything. Alice, Rosalie, and I shopped 'til we dropped yesterday!"

The tiny house seemed to be bustling with excitement after Edward and I arrived. Renee could not stop gushing. I glanced sideways at Edward and he smirked at me. I guessed that she had gotten over her initial shock and anger at my decision to marry Edward now instead of later.

Renee sat in the kitchen with us while I fixed lunch for everyone and talked about everything and nothing. I had almost forgotten how much she could talk. I was thankful for Edward's conversational skills because he kept her engaged while I bustled around the kitchen.

After lunch, we all retired to the living room to visit. I felt exhausted after I sat down. I found myself daydreaming about our honeymoon and wondering where Edward was going to take me. I vaguely heard Renee's voice say, "Bella? Do you need a nap?"

"Actually, I think I do," I said. "The girls and I got home late and were up talking late into the night. I probably need to try to get rid of the dark circles under my eyes before tomorrow or Alice will kill me." I giggled after I said it. Edward glared at me, and then smiled.

Edward stood and excused himself to go run some errands so I walked him to the door. He paused to kiss me briefly and whispered, "I'll see you upstairs in a few minutes." I smiled back at him and watched him walk to the car.

Renee was at my side in an instant as I closed the door. She grabbed me by the shoulders and looked seriously into my face. "You really love him and this really is what you want, isn't it, Bella?"

I nodded at her and smiled. "Yes Mom, this is really what I want. I can't imagine my life without Edward in it. He makes me feel complete, like he is the other part of my soul that has always been missing."

Renee searched my face for a lie, but found none, so she hugged me and said, "Oh Bella, I just hope… no, never mind, I know that you will be happy."

She let me go and I acknowledged Charlie and Phil before I headed up the stairs.

Renee called after me, "Bella? Phil and I are going to take off. Esme and Alice invited us over to help with the decorations. We will see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah Mom, don't be late!"

"Okay Bells! Love you!"

"Love you too Mom. See you later Phil."

I looked over at Charlie who was absorbed in the TV, and I climbed up the stairs to my room. I closed the door and crossed the room to lie on my bed. I knew Edward would be here soon, and I wanted to wait for him, but my eyes closed anyway.

It was quiet just now. All I could hear was the muffled voices on the TV set. I knew that Charlie would probably sit there all day. He was somewhat subdued these days and didn't say a whole lot. I thought about that with sadness. While I lay there with my eyes closed, I let my mind wander back to the night that Edward and I told Charlie we were engaged.

_I had put my ring on and we had come to the house together. Standing outside the door, Edward took my hand and squeezed it and said, "Please let me do the talking, Bella, and if I ask you to leave the room, please go." I had looked at him questioningly, but just nodded in agreement. I would let him do whatever it took to make this go as smoothly as possible for me and for Charlie. _

_We walked into the house and Charlie was there in his chair flipping channels on the TV. He nodded towards us and turned back to the TV, not noticing that we had both come to sit on the couch facing him. Edward had cleared his throat to get Charlie's attention. _

"_Why so somber you two?" Charlie had said. He looked us over for a moment and then muted the sound on the TV. "Is something wrong?"_

"_No sir," Edward said. "We just wanted to, well, I wanted to talk to you about something, sir."_

_I had never seen Edward look so uncomfortable in my life and I knew that he was reading Charlie's mind, picking his words carefully. _

_Charlie picked up interest and sat up._

_Edward turned to me and said, "Bella, could you please give your father and me a few minutes alone?" _

_I sat dumbfounded for a moment, but I slowly realized what Edward was doing. I nodded and pecked him on the cheek and started up the stairs. I paused once to look back noting that they were both staring at me, watching to see that I went away. I walked up the hall to my room and shut the door, but didn't go inside. I lingered in the hallway to hear what was being said downstairs. I knew that Edward would know that I was there, but Charlie would not and I felt that this would be acceptable. I heard Edward clear his throat again and stifled a giggle at this silly human habit. _

"_Chief Swan," he started and then took a deep breath, but Charlie interrupted him. "Edward, you can call me Charlie. I thought we had gotten past that already."_

_There was a pause before Edward said, "Charlie…" I waited for him to go on, wondering what was taking him so long. Charlie must be giving him mixed signals in his mind and Edward seemed unsure of himself. Then Edward spoke again. "Charlie, sir, I have come here tonight in elation and in shame. You see, I am very old fashioned. Carlisle has raised me in the old fashioned ways, yet I have defied him, and you, on this night. So, that being said, I have come to make amends and ask your forgiveness for what I have done."_

_Edward paused and I could hear nothing. There was no sound at all. I would have been able to hear a pin drop across the house. I had to remind myself to breathe. _

_Edward began again saying, "You see, Charlie, I have asked Bella to marry me and she has agreed, but I realize that I should have properly asked you first for her hand. I regret this mistake and hope that you can forgive me for it. I am here now to ask you for Bella's hand in marriage. I hope that you will agree and give us your blessing. If you have objections, I will try to respect your right to say no."_

_I almost fell down the stairs. What the hell did he think he was doing? How could he say that? I almost flew into a rage and ran down the stairs but stopped myself when I realized that Edward was probably telling Charlie exactly what Charlie wanted to hear. I held my breath again waiting for Charlie's answer._

_It was a few moments before Charlie spoke but his voice was very clear. "Well, Edward, this is a surprise isn't it? Is she pregnant?"_

"_Oh no, sir. I told you I was old fashioned. I didn't get all of the event sequences wrong, sir."_

"_You are both so young." _

"_Yes, sir. I know we are young, but both of us are mature and feel like we are ready."_

"_What about college?"_

"_We are definitely still planning on Dartmouth in the fall, sir." _

"_I know that my daughter is in love with you, Edward, and that you love her as well. I am concerned, however, with…I hate to bring it up, but you did leave her that time, Edward. It nearly killed her. If you marry her that can never happen again. Are you sure you are ready?"_

_Waiting quietly at the top of the stairs was agony for me. I felt sorry for Edward down there by himself with Charlie lecturing him. I also felt sorry for Charlie that he was having such an emotional conversation with Edward alone. _

_Finally, Edward replied, "I understand your concern, Charlie. Our leaving was a very unfortunate thing. I…didn't handle it so well…with Bella. When we left, I didn't want her to waste her life waiting for me, in case we never came back. I…I did not do well without her either, and that was probably the biggest reason we came back. Esme hated Los Angeles, but I think they were more concerned about how…depressed I was. I apologize, again, for leaving her like that. I can promise you that it will never happen again."_

_Tears started rolling down my face listening to Edward tell Charlie this. I fought against the urge to run down the stairs before Edward asked me to come back. _

"_I appreciate your apology, Edward. I think that, in recent months anyway, you have both seemed very devoted to each other. I hate to admit it, but I don't worry about Bella's safety when she is with you anymore. You seem to take care of her, and you seem to have her best interests in your heart. As much as I would like to trump you for my own selfish reasons, I don't think I can. Bella is mature for her age and seems to know what she wants. I have to tell you this though Edward, if she wants you, count your blessings every single day that my daughter is in your life. Keep her happy and hold on to her with everything in your being. Give her everything that is in your power to give her to keep her happy. Can you do that, Edward?"_

_I was sobbing silently by the end of Charlie's speech. "He's saying yes," I thought triumphantly. _

"_Yes sir," said Edward, "I can definitely live with those terms."_

_I heard Charlie shift his weight and realized he was standing. I heard him take a step and peeked around the corner to see what was happening. I saw Edward and Charlie meet in the middle of the living room to shake hands and as they did, Edward said, "Thank you, Charlie, for trusting Bella to me. I promise that I will provide Bella with everything she needs and everything her heart desires. She will never want for anything. I also promise that I will never leave her again, because as much as it would kill her, it would kill me too. I never want to be apart from her again. I love her with my entire being. I promise to take care of her and keep her safe for as long as we live."_

_Charlie broke their handshake and hugged Edward. I could see his eyes glistening with tears. They both called my name and I snapped back to reality. I grabbed my bedroom door and pulled it open. _

"_Yeah?" _

"_Bella, come back down here please." It was Edward. _

_I started down the stairs trembling and almost tripped. I caught myself and headed down. Edward met me at the bottom of the stairs. I was still standing on the bottom step when he grabbed my left hand and slid my ring off. I must have looked confused because he winked at me and got down on his knee. I looked up at Charlie who was wiping his eyes, and then back at Edward. His face was full of love. _

"_Isabella Marie Swan, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"_

_Edward held the ring up to me and waited. All I could do was nod and grin stupidly. He smiled and said, "Is that a yes?"_

"_Of COURSE it's a yes, Edward!" I cried. _

_Edward slipped the ring on my finger and stood up and hugged me tight. He kissed me chastely on the lips and murmured, "I love you, Bella, now and forever, I love you." _

_Now I was crying as I whispered, "I love you too, Edward, with all my heart."_

_Charlie walked over and hugged us both and then looked embarrassed. He backed away slightly and then smiled at me. "Now you get to tell Renee." With that, he turned and went into the kitchen. I could almost HEAR him smirking…._

I felt the side of my bed sink when Edward sat on it and took my hand. My eyes fluttered open and I smiled.

"I had hoped you were asleep, but alas…" he sighed.

"I was just thinking."

"What were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about the night you asked Charlie if you could marry me and then asked me to marry you properly."

Edward smiled at me and touched my cheek. When he pulled his hand away a glistening tear drop was on his finger. "You are not sorry you said yes, are you?"

I reached for him and buried my face in his chest, taking in his scent, and said, "No, Edward, I will never be sorry that I said yes."

Edward rocked me back and forth stroking my hair and murmuring in my ear. "My beautiful Bella," he said over and over. Soon, he laid me back on my bed and laid down next to me, still stroking my hair, and he started humming. I was soon fast asleep.

I woke with a start a few hours later. It was almost dark. How long had I slept? Edward was sitting in my rocking chair smiling at me. I reached for him and he was instantly by my side holding me. "Alice will be here soon," he whispered. "Maybe you should go get something to eat."

I nodded in agreement. I was hungry, but I didn't want Edward to go. He lifted my face and held it with both hands, looking into my eyes. He kissed me hungrily, but with the same restraint he always had. He broke the kiss and gazed into my eyes once again. "I am going to hunt with Emmett and Jasper tonight, Bella. I want to make sure…" he trailed off, never breaking his gaze.

I nodded but said nothing.

"Alice is staying with you tonight and she will help you get ready in the morning. Please don't forget we have a date at four o'clock tomorrow. Don't be late." He smiled and brushed my lips with his again.

"Won't you come back later, Edward? Please?"

He chuckled, "Alice would not let me within 10 miles of this house tonight, Bella. You know the rules. I can't see you until four tomorrow."

I wrinkled my nose and frowned.

"Oh, my beautiful Bella, don't frown. I will be there waiting for you. And if you should decide not to come, I will stand there and wait for you for all eternity until I turn to dust and blow away."

I hugged him tight. "I'll be there Edward, I promise."

A knock at the front door broke our embrace and I heard Alice talking to Charlie. She soon opened my bedroom door, looked at Edward, and said, "Your brothers are outside waiting for you Edward. It is time to say goodbye until tomorrow." She smiled, flashing her perfect white teeth at him.

Edward sighed and kissed me one last time on the lips. "Isabella Marie Swan, I bid you goodnight. I love you."

With that, he was up and out the window in a flash. I started to go to the window to watch him and to wave, but I knew that he was already gone and would not turn around to see me, else he would never leave.

I looked back at Alice and she was still grinning. "Come on, Bella. Let's go get you something to eat. We don't want your stomach growling all night and keeping us awake, now do we?" and she winked.

After we had fed the human, Alice and I excused ourselves to bed. We sat and talked for awhile and finally I had the nerve to ask her what I had wanted to ask for a long time. "Alice, you know that Edward and I plan to, um, consummate our marriage right away."

"Yes, Bella, I know."

"Well, I know Edward is very nervous about it ending… badly. Have you seen anything…? "

"All I have seen is a good ending. I have not seen it ending badly at all. I don't think you have anything to worry about Bella."

I was relieved. "Thank you, Alice. Could I just ask you for some… advice?" I looked at her hopefully.

"Sure Bella, what would you like to know?"

"I'm just unsure of myself. Edward and I are both virgins and, well, with the current circumstances, it is not going to be easy. Is there anything that I should or shouldn't do?"

Alice looked thoughtful for a moment and then closed her eyes. When she opened them she spoke very seriously, "If there is anything that Edward asks you to do or commands you to do, you must do it, Bella. Your life might depend on it. As much as you might want to take control of certain… things… you can't. As long as you are human, you are going to have to let Edward take charge. Is that clear?"

I nodded vigorously and said, "Absolutely clear, Alice. Don't be too aggressive, I've got it."

Alice smiled and we went back to small talk. She told me that she had my luggage all packed for the honeymoon. I was slightly concerned about this because I had no idea where we were going and Alice insisted that I not take any of my clothes from Charlie's house with me on the honeymoon. Alice was going to take care of moving my belongings from Charlie's while I was gone. She and I packed a couple of boxes and I pointed out items of clothing that I couldn't part with. She wrinkled her nose a couple of times but agreed to keep the things I asked for. Before we knew it, it was midnight and she reminded me to get some sleep. She was going to do some work on her laptop while I was sleeping.

I got ready for bed, then gave Alice a hug and said, "You are the best friend and sister a girl could ever hope for, Alice. Thank you, for everything."

Alice giggled and said, "You're welcome, Bella. I am very proud to have you as my sister. Now, get to bed so we don't have to have plastic surgery in the morning to get rid of the bags under your eyes!"


	4. Chapter 4 The Wedding

**Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews and for everyone who has added this story to your favorite stories! Here is the one many of you have been waiting for...**

**A HUGE thank you to my beta Lillie Cullen without whom I would NEVER get these chapters posted! Enjoy! **

Ascension

Chapter 4 – The Wedding

Bella

I awoke the next morning to the sounds of Alice, Charlie, Renee, and Phil laughing in the kitchen. I heard dishes clanking around and wondered who in the world out of that group would be cooking and then realized, of course, it was Alice. The vampire was the only one in that kitchen capable of cooking anything. This thought amused me and I giggled aloud. I heard Alice announce, "Bella's awake!" No one even questioned how she knew that.

I got out of bed and giggled again as I lost my footing and nearly fell on my face. What was wrong with me? I caught myself, stood up, and walked to the bathroom. I combed my hair and brushed my teeth. After I got dressed in my usual jeans and shirt, I headed to the kitchen. It sounded like a party down there.

I realized as I walked into the kitchen that Alice had outdone herself. There were eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, fruit, juice, and milk. It was a breakfast fit for an army.

Everyone greeted me enthusiastically as they were eating and laughing. Alice was entertaining them with stories from Edward's "childhood." _Boy does she have an active imagination. _I laughed to myself as I listened to her regaling them with hilarious stories about Edward and Emmett.

I sat down to a plate and started to put food on it when I was suddenly nauseated. I jumped up and ran upstairs. Everyone stopped talking and watched me go. I ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. I heard them all start laughing again as I stared at myself in the mirror, clutching the counter.

Renee came and knocked on the door. "Bella? Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine, I'm just nervous I guess."

"Can I come in?"

"Sure Mom."

She opened the door and walked in. By now, I was sitting on the floor in front of the sink, leaning against the wall.

"Bella? What's going on here? Are you sure this is just nerves?"

I laughed out loud. I knew exactly what she was thinking. "Yes, Mom I know this is just nerves. I am not getting married because I have to, Mom. For your information Edward and I are both virgins."

Renee sighed a little too loudly. She laughed then. "You think you are going to be able to make it?"

I glanced up at her and saw Alice winking at me from the hallway and I smiled. "Yes Mom. I will be fine. I just need a minute."

Renee grabbed a washcloth, wet it with cold water, and placed it on the back of my neck. "You know you don't have to do this, Bella. You have your whole life to do this if you want to."

I was angry now. "Mom, I want to do this now! Is it all that unusual to have some nerves on your wedding day? Geez Mom!"

I jumped up, ran in my room, and slammed the door. Alice came in a minute later with a glass of juice and a piece of toast for me. She handed it to me silently and I mumbled a thank you to her. I felt better after eating the toast and told Alice, "It's time to go, Alice. I can't be here. They are all going to drive me nuts!"

Alice laughed and said, "Okay Bella. It's time for us to go then." She grabbed my purse and handed it to me. She picked up her small bag, then grabbed one of my bags, went into the bathroom, and removed the rest of my belongings in a flash. She came back to me and said, "Let's go, Bella."

I turned to look at my room one last time, knowing that it would definitely be the very last time, then sadly turned and started down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I noted that everyone had moved to the living room, and they were all looking at me with concern.

"I'm fine," I told everyone. "I promise it was just nerves. I am fine now. Alice and I are heading to the house to get ready. I will see you all later, okay?" I looked into each one of their faces. They each looked back at me with love and concern.

Charlie was the first one to step forward and hug me. "See you this afternoon, Bells." I knew he was trying to sound brave and happy but I could hear the sadness in his voice.

Next Phil came over to hug me and wish me luck.

Then it was Renee's turn. She grabbed me and held on to me. "I've missed you so much, Bella. I wish we had more time. I love you. You are going to be beautiful this afternoon, I just know it. I know that Alice is going to make you even more beautiful than you already are." She gave me one last squeeze and then let me go.

I looked at all of them one more time and gave them what I hoped was an encouraging smile. They all smiled back as Alice grabbed my hand and led me out the door.

I was barely aware of Alice and Rosalie as they fussed over me. I practically fell asleep sitting in the chair as they each curled and pinned my hair. Alice moved on to my face and started putting makeup on me. I was in a daze. I just tried not to think.

Esme came to the door a few times and smiled her warm smile at me. Finally, I asked her the question I already knew the answer to.

"Esme, have they returned yet?"

"No Bella, but they will be back. Don't worry, they'll be fine."

"I'm not worried about _them_. I am worried about Edward deciding that I am not worth it." I was sorry for even thinking it as soon as it came out of my mouth. Rosalie and Alice both stopped what they were doing and gaped at me. Esme ran over to me and grabbed my hands.

"Bella, don't you ever say that. Ever. Don't even _think_ such a thing. Edward loves you with all of his heart, mind, and soul, and _you,_ my dear, are more than worth it. You are just nervous. Just let it go and enjoy Alice and Rosalie getting you ready. Everything is going to be just fine. You are meant to be a part of our family, Bella. It just has to be." Esme smiled warmly after she said all this but I could still see the concern in her eyes. I smiled back but knew she could see right through me.

"I'm sorry Esme, Rosalie, Alice. I know I am acting strangely today and I apologize. I am just so nervous my mouth is moving before my mind is thinking."

They all laughed lightly, but I saw them all glance at each other. Esme let my hands go and silently left. I had a sneaking suspicion she was going to call the boys and see where they were. Perhaps she wanted Jasper to come home and throw some calm my direction. Perhaps she wanted me to hear Edward in the house. Perhaps she wanted me to see Emmett laughing and making jokes, and causing me to want to punch him in the head. I smirked at this and Alice laughed because she had just seen what I had just decided. When I became a vampire, my first order of business was to smack Emmett upside the head.

This thought kept my spirits up for quite some time and I started watching as Alice gave me a pedicure and painted my toenails. Then she pressed fake nails onto my fingers and painted them as well. Rosalie was still working on my hair.

Soon, Esme brought me a small snack. I asked her what time it was and she told me it was two thirty. I heard a lot of commotion downstairs and looked at the doorway. "There are a lot of people down there," she explained.

Alice suddenly jumped up and ran out the door. Esme followed her. Rosalie and I looked at each other puzzled. Rosalie shrugged and continued pinning my hair. Then she said, "Oh, the boys are back. Edward is insisting he wants to see you." She laughed and then continued, "Apparently he read in everyone's minds how nervous you are and he is afraid you are going to run away. He is speaking with Alice and Esme right now. They are trying to steer him away from here." I was very happy with Rosalie's acute hearing because all I could hear was commotion and voices. I couldn't pick out anything in that haze.

Rosalie looked me over and turned my chair around so I could see the mirror. "Well, Bella, what do you think?"

I looked in the mirror at what I thought was me, but I wasn't so sure. I did not really recognize the beautiful girl in the mirror before me. My hair cascaded down my back in long ringlets. My brown eyes were popping. My lips looked perfect. "Wow," was all I could muster. Rosalie smiled at me in the mirror and said, "We better get into Alice's room and start getting you dressed. Edward is coming and he's not taking no for an answer."

We went into Alice and Jasper's room, where my dress was hanging, and closed the door behind us. I heard Edward in the hallway practically shouting, "Where is she Alice, I just want to talk to her, I need to make sure she is okay."

I heard Jasper outside the door telling Edward to calm down before he broke something or scared the guests downstairs and decided it was time for me to intervene. "Edward, I'm fine. Go get dressed or you are going to be late," I shouted at him through the door. "Go away. You know as well as I do you can't see me right now. Now go and get ready for our wedding and stop freaking out!"

Rosalie burst into laughter. I heard Alice, Jasper, and Carlisle laughing outside as well. Emmett said, "I can't _wait _for her to be one of us little bro! You are going to have a tiger by the tail." His laughter trailed off as he descended the stairs.

Soon after, Alice was back in the room with us. She and Rosalie started putting my dress on me. I felt Alice under my skirt and saw that she was putting my shoes on. I gasped, "Alice! I'm going to kill myself with these shoes!"

"No you won't, Bella. I already saw."

There was just no arguing with Alice, so I resigned myself to a trip to the emergency room with a fractured femur in the minutes before my wedding, and let her continue.

As soon as I was dressed, Rosalie excused herself to get ready. Alice stepped into her closet and came out a minute later looking like a million dollars. All I had left to do was wait. It was three-thirty so I didn't have long.

Rosalie soon reappeared accompanied by Esme and Renee. Esme and Renee were talking as though they had known each other forever. They all stopped and stared when they saw me. Renee brought her hands to her face and gasped, "Bella, oh my, Bella, you look absolutely gorgeous! There are just not words for how beautiful you look!"

I decided that since I had not yet looked in the mirror since dressing, I should now. I slowly turned and gaped at what I saw. I really did not recognize the woman standing there. The dress was perfect. It looked like it had just walked out of 1918 and onto my body. It was perfect. Everything was perfect.

I had a small satin purse and inside it was my locket from Edward. I was determined that even though Alice insisted I not wear it, I was carrying it with me.

Renee stepped over and handed me a beautiful bracelet. "This was your grandmother's, Bella. It can be your 'something old.' I am giving it to you to keep."

Esme then handed me a beautiful embroidered handkerchief. I lovingly fingered the letters 'BMC' and smiled. "Something new," she said.

Alice came over to me and placed a heavy diamond necklace around my neck. "Something borrowed," she said.

Rosalie then kneeled in front of me holding up a blue garter and smiled. "And something blue." I put my foot out and she slipped it over my shoe and up onto my thigh.

I felt overwhelming gratitude and love for all of these women. I tried not to shed any tears so I would not mess up my makeup. Alice teased me saying, "Do you know how long I worked on your makeup, Bella?" I smiled at them all and thanked them.

Charlie stepped in the door and asked if he could join the party.

"Of course you can, Dad," I said. "Come on in."

Charlie's eyes swept around the room and stopped on me. "Can I take a picture of all of you beautiful ladies together?"

We all giggled and lined up. I was sure that this photo would be a long lasting and wonderful memory for Charlie and I was glad he had remembered his camera.

After the picture, Emmett came to the door and said, "Hey, Rose, it's almost time, we need to go before all the good seats are taken!" He looked me up and down and said, "Wow, would you just look at my new little sister! Hot!"

Rosalie gave me a quick hug and kiss, and wished me good luck. I caught her hand and squeezed it. She said, "I know. You're welcome," and smiled. She punched Emmett in the gut as they left the room and I giggled.

Jasper stopped by as he was escorting Esme down to the wedding. He smiled warmly and said, "You look absolutely stunning, Bella!"

I could hear music start and knew that everyone would be making their way out to the huge white tent Alice had erected in the back yard. Phil came in and got Renee, who kissed me on the cheek before leaving.

Now it was just Alice, Charlie, and me. I looked at both of them lovingly. I felt right at home with both of my families represented here with me.

I took a deep breath as they each grabbed an arm and started escorting me down the stairs. When we got to the back porch, I thought my knees were going to collapse. I saw the big tent in front of me and braced myself. _This is it. There's no going back now_.

Alice kissed me on the cheek and stood in front of the entrance to the tent.

I closed my eyes and took another deep breath. I knew that after I entered the tent, nothing would ever be the same for me again, and interestingly enough, I found that I could not wait.

When the tent opened, the smell of the flowers engulfed me. I heard new music start and a single tear rolled down my cheek. It was my lullaby. I knew why he did it; he thought it would help me to relax. I smiled at how thoughtful he was. Alice flashed me a big smile and started down the aisle.

Charlie tugged on my arm a little and said, "It's now or never, Bella," and smiled. I took a step forward and we turned to face the tent opening. There were twinkling lights practically dripping off every bit of the ceiling of the tent. Flowers and ribbons adorned every bit of space that was available to them. At the front, there was an archway set on a riser that was covered in flowers and twinkly white lights. I saw Angela's father standing there, but I could not see Edward. Alice made it to the front, and turned to face me. She smiled brightly and everyone in the room stood and turned to face me. My knees started to shake and I thought they would give out, but I bravely put one foot forward.

I plastered a smile on my face as Charlie and I made our way down the aisle. I still couldn't see Edward but I knew that he was up there, somewhere. My eyes swept across the room and I saw my friends and family all smiling back at me. There was so much love in this place that my knees stopped shaking and my footing was sure. I did not miss a step.

I turned my focus to the front, waiting for the moment when I could see Edward. I finally caught sight of his bronze hair over the tops of the heads of the people in my way. My smile widened now because I could see my goal. With each step I took, I could see a little bit more, until we emerged from the crowd and I could see him standing there. _My beautiful Edward. _

The sight of him astounded me. He was in a silver tuxedo with tails and his eyes were blazing. As soon as our gaze locked, his mouth twisted into my favorite crooked smile and I thought I would collapse. He was just too perfect. I glided the rest of the way to him, as though I were floating on air.

I was only vaguely aware of the words that were being said by Pastor Weber. The only thing I was acutely aware of was Edward. Charlie placed my hand in Edward's and kissed my cheek. I glanced at him and smiled, then turned all of my attention back to Edward.

Edward led me the last few steps and I could not take my eyes off him. We turned to face each other and Edward whispered, "I love you, Bella, you are so beautiful."

All I could do was smile and stare at him. I heard Pastor Weber talking, but the words sounded far away. I felt as though there was no one here except Edward and me. I stood there with my hand in his and marveled at the thought that I had to be the luckiest girl in the whole world.

I heard Pastor Weber whisper, "It's time for the vows," so I turned and handed my bouquet to Alice. Edward reached out and took my other hand, then said the vows he had written for me in his clear, wonderful voice.

_"Isabella Marie Swan, I celebrate this day as the day that my life will truly begin. I love you more than words can say, Bella. Today, I will bind my existence to yours for all eternity. Many people spend their lives searching for their soulmate, their one true love. I am happy today to count myself among the lucky few that actually found that kind of bond. I promise to love you more with each passing day, to take care of you, and keep you safe from harm. I promise to hold you and cherish you, to provide for you all that you should ever need, want, and more. Most of all, I promise to do everything in my power to make you happy, ceaselessly and tirelessly, for as long as eternity lasts for us. Faithfully, I shall always be at your side, with your hand in mine. I am proud that today, I take you as my wife, and I shall be your husband, for all the days of our lives. I love you, Bella."_

My knees felt weak. I wondered if in all the history of weddings, any vows had ever rung so true and so lovely as the vows Edward had just spoken to me. Reverend Weber looked at me and whispered, "Bella?"

I knew that my feeble attempt at writing vows would never live up to what Edward had just said, but I took a deep breath, and with my voice shaking, I began.

"_Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, you are the one true love of my life. I am so happy to have found you. The best days of my life have been spent with you, and yet I know that the best is yet to come. I promise to stand by your side now and forever as your wife, lover, and best friend. Our souls intertwined the day we met and will only grow more in tune with each other every day that we are together. I promise to be a faithful and true wife for as long as we walk this earth, and longer. I love you, Edward. Forever."_

By the time I finished, I was whispering. I didn't really care if anyone but Edward could hear me. The words belonged to him and him only.

Edward's cool hands held tightly to mine as we stood there staring into each other's eyes. When Esme began singing, tears stung my eyes and rolled down my face. I had never heard her sing before, but I was immediately convinced that it was one of my favorite sounds.

_Never knew I could feel like this_

_Like I've never seen the sky before_

_Want to vanish inside your kiss_

_Every day I love you more and more._

_Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing_

_Telling me to give you everything_

_Seasons may change winter to spring_

_But I love you, until the end of time_

_Come what may, Come what may_

_I will love you, until my dying day_

_Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place_

_Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace_

_Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste_

_It all revolves around you_

_And there's no mountain too high, _

_No river too wide_

_Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side_

_Storm clouds may gather, and stars may collide_

_But I love you until the end of time_

_Come what may, come what may_

_I will love you, until my dying day_

When the music was through, Esme stepped over to us and kissed us both. "Thank you," I whispered through my tears of joy. The happiness I felt inside was so overwhelming and wonderful that I almost didn't want this moment to end.

Pastor Weber asked for the rings, so Carlisle and Alice deposited them onto the bible he held. He blessed the rings and then Edward took my ring and repeated the words Pastor Weber said to him: _Take and wear this ring as a symbol of my love. With it, I wed you, and commit my life to you forever. _

As he said it, he slipped the wedding band on. It was a beautiful and perfect match for the engagement ring that had been his mother's.

I picked up the ring that Carlisle had given me for Edward and repeated the same words to Edward as I slipped it on his hand. The ring had belonged to Carlisle's family, and although I protested, Carlisle and Esme had insisted that I take it to give to Edward. Edward looked down at the ring lovingly and back at me with curiosity. I just smiled. I knew that later on I would be explaining to him that Carlisle had always saved this particular ring for the purpose of it being Edward's wedding band.

We finally came to the end of the ceremony and I heard Pastor Weber tell Edward that he could kiss his bride. Edward stared into my eyes, boring into my very soul. I was putty in his hands. He took a step forward, lifted my veil, and took me in his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck automatically. His lips touched mine with a softness and vulnerability I had never felt before. My legs felt like jelly and I went completely limp. Edward held me there for a moment and looked into my eyes. "I love you so much, Bella. Thank you for this," he breathed and kissed me again.

Everyone started cheering and I felt Edward smile against my lips. I blushed immediately from head to toe. Edward stood me back on my feet and held onto me to steady me. His golden eyes were shining as Pastor Weber said, "May I present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen." We turned to face our family and friends and were met with a rousing round of applause.

More music started and I recognized the traditional recessional playing as we made our way back down the aisle arm in arm. I didn't even stumble as we walked and I felt amazingly refreshed and thrilled. I knew that having this wedding was the right thing for Edward, and as I walked past our family and friends with him, I decided that for all of my complaining and grumbling, it really had been the right thing for me too.

The tent was surprisingly large and when we got to the end of the aisle, Edward steered me around behind the guests and into the other side of the tent, which I immediately understood would be where the reception took place. I looked around at all the glorious decorations that Alice had placed there and shook my head in wonder. _How does she manage all this?_

Edward swept me into his arms and leaned in to kiss me. He stopped just an inch away from my lips and stared into my eyes. His breath was so cool and sweet on my lips. His eyes were gleaming honey-gold, and I felt the familiar dizziness wash over me as Edward dazzled me again.

"May I kiss you again, Mrs. Cullen?"

Unable to speak I just nodded ever so slightly and he pressed his lips to mine. His kiss was more urgent now and I crushed my lips to his, throwing my arms around his neck and holding him tight.

Behind me, I heard Emmett say, "Hey little bro, there is still business to attend to here; you can't start the honeymoon yet!" He snorted and laughed out loud and slapped Edward on the back nearly knocking the wind out of me.

Edward released the kiss and laughed lightly. "Are you okay, Bella?"

I smiled and nodded while thinking, "_I'm going to do more than just smack Emmett upside the head. I'm going to kick him in the shins too."_

Alice suddenly giggled behind me, and then she threw her arms around my neck and squealed, "MY sister!"

People started flooding into the reception area then. I was hugged so many times I thought my arms would fall off. I smiled and thanked everyone for coming. I was introduced to the people I didn't know. I laughed with my friends and family. Finally, everyone had made their way in, and Alice escorted Edward and me to the head table. Once we were seated, and everyone else had taken their seats, Carlisle stood and toasted us.

"As best man and father of the groom, I would like to extend my best wishes to Bella and Edward for a long and happy life. Though Edward has never truly been mine, he is more mine than anyone else's, and I love him more than even he can probably understand. I look around at my little family here, and though it felt complete before, I know it was not. Bella was the missing piece. Thank you, Bella, for loving Edward so fully and completely. May this day be the beginning of a new chapter in a love story that will endure forever."

His toast was so heartwarming to me that I stood up to hug him and kiss him on the cheek. "Welcome to the family, Bella," he said.

As I returned to my seat, Alice stood up and began her speech.

"Edward and Bella, you are an inspiration to us all. The love you share is next to none. I could not be more proud to have my best friend marry my brother. I wish you both the best of everything for all of your lives. I _know _that you will be happily together always."

Alice came and stood between us and hugged us both. When she returned to her seat, Emmett started to stand up and Edward growled, "Sit down, Emmett," softly. Emmett looked offended, but stayed in his seat.

I looked around the room at all the vampires pretending to sip their champagne and smirked. If only the humans in the room knew just how many vampires were in attendance, they would all run screaming from the place. This amused me and I laughed lightly. Edward glanced over at me and asked, "What is funny, love?"

I laughed aloud now, knowing how silly he would think it was. I leaned in close and whispered it to him and then he began laughing. "Silly Bella. You should be one of the ones running and screaming, you know."

I smiled at him coyly and looked up at him from under my eyelashes. "But, I am not afraid, remember?"

Edward's eyes turned molten and he put his arms around me and kissed me softly. "As much as I wish you were afraid, I am very happy that you are not, Mrs. Cullen."

I leaned against Edward and sighed.

The dinner was magnificent. I chuckled to myself at all the food that was being wasted by the vampires and thought that Alice should have kept it simple. _Cake and punch, what was wrong with just cake and punch?_

I decided that I was just being grumpy and selfish and should try to enjoy myself. This was the last time I might see a good share of my human friends. I put the thought of getting out of here to get on with the honeymoon out of my mind and relaxed to try to enjoy the rest of the festivities.

As soon as the dinner was finished, the tables were cleared and the curtain between the two sides of the tent was opened. The other half of the tent, where our fairytale wedding had taken place, was a dance floor and a band. _I'm going to have to dance? NO! _I looked wildly at Edward who laughed softly and said, "Don't worry, I won't let you fall."

Alice made some introductions, and Edward and I were called for the "first dance." Edward stood and took my hand, pulling me out of the chair. I stumbled slightly and looked up at him with trepidation. He wrapped his arms around me and practically carried me to the dance floor. When we got there, he put me down in front of him and said, "Just hold on to me, Bella, and let me lead you. It will be fine."

The lights all went down except for one spot light that was on us. I held on to Edward and let his movements lead me. I was sure that I looked like a total fool, but I didn't stumble and I didn't fall. Edward spun me gracefully around the dance floor and I heard everyone applauding. I couldn't help but smile up at Edward. His eyes never left mine as he led us around the dance floor to the Fred Astaire song, "Cheek to Cheek."

When the song came to an end, I was surprised to see Charlie walk up and ask Edward if he could dance with me. Edward stepped aside and gave my hand to Charlie. Charlie was not as graceful and sure on his feet as Edward, but he at least held on to me and kept me from falling. Charlie smiled at me and said, "I have never seen you look as beautiful or happy as I have seen you today, Bella." I laid my head on Charlie's shoulder and tried not to think about having to say goodbye to him.

Over Charlie's shoulder, I saw Edward dancing with Esme. They looked so graceful and I wondered if I had looked even half as graceful dancing with my beautiful vampire husband. I suspected that I had not, but decided not to dwell on it.

When the next song began, the bandleader opened the floor up for everyone to dance. I was relieved to be able to sit down. I had tempted fate in these shoes for long enough today. If I was on my feet much longer, a tragedy was certain to mar our wedding day.

As soon as I sat down, I ended up having an endless stream of partners asking Edward if they could dance with me. Seth was first. He looked nervous as he approached Edward but had a look of relief when Edward nodded his approval and soon I was on the dance floor again.

When the song was over, Seth pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to me. "Jacob wanted me to bring this to you, Bella. I don't want you to read it until later. He couldn't bear to come himself, but he wanted you to know that he wishes you all the happiness that love can bring."

Tears rolled silently down my cheeks as I hugged Seth and whispered to him, "Please tell Jacob that he will always be my best friend, Seth, tell him I still love him, and to take care of himself." Seth nodded his head and then Embry stepped in.

"I need to dance with the bride before we take off, Seth," and he winked. We were off. Embry was quiet for the most part but wished me the best of luck before kissing my hand as he was leaving.

Carlisle then cut in and started twirling me around the floor. After Carlisle, Eleazar of the Denali family took my hand. Once that song ended, Mike Newton stepped up and asked to dance with me.

I saw Edward glance towards me. He was dancing with Irena, another member of the Denali family. I agreed to dance with Mike and we talked and laughed while we were dancing. My feet were really starting to hurt and I was considering taking off my shoes while I listened to Mike babbling about the store, Jessica, and college.

I laughed silently as I watched Edward come closer and closer to us. His jaw was set and he looked slightly distressed. It made me wonder what Mike was thinking while he was dancing with me. The sight of my jealous vampire husband amused me so I pulled myself just the tiniest bit closer to Mike.

Edward was standing right next to me in half a second and courteously asked Mike if he could possibly step in and dance with his wife. Mike mumbled, "Sure, thanks Bella," and stepped away giving my hand to Edward.

Edward immediately pulled me as close to him as he could get me, and spun us around the dance floor. I laughed as he did so and he whispered to me, "You did that on purpose didn't you, naughty Bella." I laughed again and Edward twirled me across the dance floor and back to our seats. He dropped me gently into mine, and rushed off to get me some punch.

He returned with two glasses of punch and sat them down in front of me. I thanked him and reached for a glass with both hands, praying I would not spill any on my dress. I took a long drink and was acutely aware of Edward staring at me.

I put the glass down and turned to stare back at him. He reached for my face and ran his fingers lightly over my cheek. "My wife," he whispered. My eyelashes fluttered and I sighed, "My beautiful husband."

Suddenly Alice was pulling me to my feet. "Bella, you have at least three more dances before you are through! Your brothers and Phil want to dance with you!" With that, she put my hand in Jasper's and sat down in my chair talking excitedly to Edward.

Jasper led me around the dance floor every bit as gracefully as Edward, Carlisle, and Eleazar had. When the song was finished, he bowed low to me, then hugged me and said, "Welcome to the family, Bella."

"Thank you, Jasper," I said breathlessly.

Before I even knew what was happening, Jasper placed my hand in Emmett's and Emmett twirled me away and around the floor.

Emmett was just as good a dancer as all the other vampires but was much less refined with his chatter. He teased me lightly about the upcoming honeymoon and told me that I needed to make sure that Edward had a good time. He winked and laughed, then continued to tease me. I could feel the heat in my cheeks rising, and I looked down at the floor. The song ended and Emmett placed a cool finger under my chin. He brought my face up to his and said quietly, "Really, Bella, I'm serious now, thank you for making my brother so happy. I was tired of seeing him mope around for all these decades. I'm really glad that he found you and that you are one of us now."

I hugged Emmett and said, "So am I, Emmett. Thank you for welcoming me in."

Emmett handed me off to Phil who danced almost as awkwardly as I normally did. He apologized and said, "Your new family must all take dance lessons or something. I've never seen so many men in one family that could dance so well."

I stifled a giggle and said, "Yeah, they are all pretty amazing." Finally, I saw Edward approaching us as the music ended, and I was relieved. Phil hugged me and kissed me on the cheek before handing me back off to my husband.

"It's time to cut the cake, love," Edward said as he led me to the cake table.

We cut the cake and I was careful to give Edward a very small bite. He swallowed it without complaint and smiled. I struggled not to laugh as we twisted our arms together and sipped our champagne.

Happy that this part was over, I glanced over at the large table full of gifts and felt relieved that we would not have to open them tonight. I felt sure Alice would take care of all of that for us while we were gone and would probably forge our names on the thank you notes as well.

We had time to sit down for a little while longer before Rosalie grabbed my hand and said, "It's time to throw the bouquet!" I looked over at Edward longingly while she dragged me away. He was laughing. _When I am done whacking Emmett and kicking him in the shins, I'm going to break a rock over Edward's head._ Gales of laughter erupted from Alice and I grinned at her.

All of the single girls gathered behind me and I gave the bouquet a toss over my head, hoping that it didn't boomerang back and knock me out or something. That would be just my luck. I heard the girls all clambering to catch it. I turned around just in time to see Jessica jumping up and down triumphantly with the bouquet in her hand. I looked over at Mike Newton, and he looked like he had been shot. I laughed heartily and my husband joined me, laughing even louder.

Emmett started shouting, "Garter, garter, garter, garter!" Soon all the other boys joined in with him. Edward grinned at me like the Cheshire cat and disappeared under my dress.

I felt his hands running up from my ankles to my thighs until he found the garter. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or swoon because it tickled, but felt heavenly at the same time. All of the men cheered except Charlie, Phil, and Carlisle, who all looked extremely uncomfortable.

Edward started tickling me behind the knees and I erupted into laughter. Finally, he emerged from under my dress with a triumphant look and my garter between his teeth. He winked at me before stretching it out and shooting it towards the sea of men gathered there.

We both laughed even louder when it snapped Mike Newton in the forehead and knocked him almost off his feet. Mike looked shocked when he raised his hand and it was there. Jessica ran over and gave him a big kiss and we all laughed even harder.

The men were getting rather rowdy, slapping each other on the back and laughing. I looked up at Edward, who just shook his head and smiled at me.

Alice saved me from the wild party this was becoming by whispering to me that it was time to change into my travelling clothes. I gladly followed her, Rosalie, and Renee into the house.

Rosalie and Alice helped me out of my wedding gown and into the sapphire blue dress that Alice had picked out for me to travel in. Renee helped them take my veil and tiara off, and then they all dived in to taking the pins out of my hair. When they were done, my hair fell down over my shoulders in long curls. It felt good to have all of the pins out.

Alice put shoes on my feet that were more civil looking, although still high heeled. I groaned at this but knew that Edward would not let me fall.

While I was inside, I took the opportunity to look inside the envelope that Seth had given me. It was a note from Jacob that read:

_Bells, _

_I am sorry that I was not able to bring myself to come today. I guess I am just having a hard time letting go. I hope you can forgive me for not being there. _

_I still love you, Bella, with all my heart. I hope that you will still have me as your friend, because I will be, as long as you will let me. I promise to keep my feelings in check and remember that you belong to someone else. _

_I hope the old bloodsucker (just kidding, I mean Edward) makes you happy. If he doesn't, you call me first. I'll rip him to shreds and let you burn the pieces. _

_Love, Jacob_

I smiled and tucked the envelope into my bedside table in our room. I saw the envelope in there that held the pictures that were removed from Edward's locket before my new pictures were put in. I made a mental note to have Alice see what she could find out about them.

I thought about Jacob for a minute and was sad that he missed my big day. I knew that he was hurt that I chose Edward, but I hoped that someday he would understand that I didn't have a choice. Edward and I were meant to be together and there was no other way around it. I knew that I would always love Jacob, but not the way he deserved to be loved.

Alice tugging on my arm brought me back to the present and I smiled and took her hand as we made our way back down the stairs.

Things were starting to wind down in the tent. Edward met me as soon as I walked in, and I noticed that he had changed into black slacks and a black button-down shirt.

We started making the rounds, thanking everyone for coming, and saying goodbye.

Renee's face was stained with tears when we got around to her and Phil. She tried to put on a brave face, but I could see right through it. I tried to soothe her saying, "Don't worry, Mom, I will email you sometime in the next couple of weeks. I haven't missed a week in a year, you know that." She smiled and hugged me saying, "I love you, Bella. Have a wonderful honeymoon, honey." Phil hugged me while Renee hugged Edward and told me to keep my promise and keep in touch with my Mom so she didn't drive him nuts, and then he winked at me. I nodded and smiled at him and promised to keep in touch with her.

I thanked all of the Cullens for their efforts to make our wedding the most fantastic wedding any girl could ever have hoped for. They all hugged us and wished us luck on our honeymoon. _If everyone else only knew, they would ALL be wishing us luck with the honeymoon. Or better yet, forbidding us to go on it!_ Emmett, of course, had an off-color comment to make and I had to shove Edward with my shoulder to remind him not to make a scene. He glared at Emmett as we walked over to Charlie.

I hugged Charlie and said, "Dad, you remember how to work the computer, right?" He nodded and I smiled and said, "Good, because I am going to test you. I will be emailing and I want a response!" Charlie smiled and said he would do his best. He reached out to hug me again and said, "Take care, kid. I love you."

"I love you too, Dad," I whispered through my tears. When I let go, I quickly swiped the tears away with my handkerchief and turned to Edward. He nodded at me and looked at the doorway. I nodded back and he gave Alice a signal.

I could not wait to be alone with Edward. I was exhausted, yet exhilarated.

Rosalie started ushering everyone outside and a lot of cheering and clapping followed. Alice remained behind and came to us looking quite somber. We both must have looked concerned because she suddenly smiled and looked at Edward, "You can do this, Edward. It is going to be wonderful." He smiled. Alice took my hand, looked me in the eye, and said, "You remember what I told you?" I nodded. She smiled and said, "Okay then, have a wonderful time." She tightened her grip on my hand slightly and said, "Bella, be safe."

I wondered if she had seen me losing control and not following her advice. I thought maybe she had seen something ending badly, but shook the thought out of my mind immediately. Nothing was going to end badly for Edward and me. I was convinced that we would only find happiness and bliss together.

When Alice gave us the okay, we made our way out of the tent and walked around the corner of the house where a large crowd of our family and friends were waiting in two long lines that led to a very large black limousine. The driver stood next to the open back door smiling.

Edward scooped me up and ran, at human speed, between the two rows of people. They were all tossing birdseed at us and it rained down on us from every direction. One handful of birdseed really nailed Edward in the back of the head and stung slightly when it rained down on me. I looked over Edward's shoulder to see Emmett smiling widely. I laughed as Edward gently placed me in the back of the car and I waved as the door closed.

I turned to Edward and melted into his kiss.

"Finally, we are alone."

"Yes," I breathed, "Finally."

**The song that Esme sang at the wedding is "Come What May" from the movie "Moulin Rouge." No copyright infringement is intended in its use here. **

**Bella and Edward's first dance is to "Cheek to Cheek" written by Irving Berlin. Bella knew it as a Fred Astaire song from the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie "Top Hat." Many others have recorded it, including Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Doris Day, and Ella Fitzgerald. Here are the lyrics in case some of you don't know them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**(Both songs were per Edward's request.)**

"_Cheek to Cheek"_

_Heaven, I'm in Heaven,_

_And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak;_

_And I seem to find the happiness I seek_

_When we're out together dancing, cheek to cheek_

_Heaven, I'm in Heaven,_

_And the cares that hung around me through the week_

_Seem to vanish like a gamblers lucky streak_

_When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek._

_Oh! I love to climb a mountain,_

_And to reach the highest peak,_

_But it doesn't thrill me half as much_

_As dancing cheek to cheek._

_Oh! I love to go out fishing_

_In a river or a creek,_

_But I don't enjoy it half as much_

_As dancing cheek to cheek._

_Dance with me_

_I want my arm about you;_

_The charm about you_

_Will carry me thro' to Heaven_

_I'm in Heaven,_

_And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak;_

_And I seem to find the happiness I seek_

_When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek_


	5. Chapter 5 First Night

**A/N: So begins Bella and Edward's honeymoon. Up until now, all of the chapters have been written solely from Bella's point of view. Edward whispered in my ear, and not being able to resist him, I wrote this version of their first night together from his point of view as well as Bella's. I've combined them here so this chapter is quite long, but it was important to me to see how each of them were feeling and reacting. LEMON WARNING! This IS their first night together as man and wife, there WILL be LEMONS! Consider yourself warned! **

**Thank you to all of you who have added this story to your favorites and especially to those who took the time to review! Reviews are truly an inspiration to keep writing so keep them coming please!!!**

**Hugs, kisses, and chocolate covered naked Cullen boys go out to my fantastic Beta, Lillie Cullen! I could not do it without you!**

Ascension

Chapter 5 – First Night

**Bella**

Once we had untangled ourselves from each other, I asked Edward where we were going. He just smiled knowingly and turned on some music. He looked around and found some bottled water, which he poured into a glass and handed to me. I guessed he was not going to tell me where we were headed, so I decided to relax and just enjoy being with him.

The car sped along in the darkness and I briefly wondered if the driver was a vampire that Edward knew, but did not ask. I didn't want to know how fast we might be going. I lay on the seat with my head in Edward's arms looking up at him. I reached up to brush back his hair and put my hand on his cheek. His eyes blazed down at me. We didn't speak, just drank in each other's beauty.

I was so exhausted from the full day we had that I fell asleep in his arms on the way to the airport. Edward woke me when we arrived.

When I raised my arms to stretch, Edward gently tickled my side. I giggled and grabbed his hand. I moved too fast and landed in his lap placing kisses all over his face. Edward stiffened significantly and held me away from him with his strong arms. I pouted and looked up at him with my best begging look. He shook his head, "No, love, I'm not telling you where we are going, but I will tell you that before you go any further, we have to get there." He smiled that crooked smile that always made me melt and then the chauffeur opened the door.

Edward managed to sneak around at the airport so that I would not know where we were headed until we arrived at the gate to Paris. I was excited. When we boarded the plane and took our seats in First Class, Edward arranged himself so he could hold me.

I was apparently more exhausted than I had previously thought because I slept throughout the flight in Edward's arms. I felt badly about it, but Edward didn't seem like he minded. He awakened me as we approached Charles de Gaulle International Airport.

***********************************

**Edward**

I had a hard time keeping anything from my beautiful Bella. She knew exactly how to get whatever she wanted out of me. After she asked me where we were going in the limousine, I knew I was not going to be able to stay silent so I turned on some music, gave her a drink of water, and held her.

_Damn Bella for being such a seductress._ She had no idea what it did to me when she touched my hair like that and put her small hand on my cheek. I almost had to hold my breath. Part of it, I knew, was the anticipation of what was coming when we got to France.

I could not wait for her to see Chateau de Bella. I bought it for her as a wedding gift. I wondered how angry she was going to be with me for spending that kind of money on her, but I hoped she would stay silent and just enjoy it. After all, I named it for her. I knew the whole family would use it, but I bought it for Bella and me. It would be our vacation house someday when she was past her newborn years.

I winced when I thought about her being a newborn. I wished with all my being that she would just stay human. On the other hand, a part of me just wanted to bite her right now and get it over with. I sighed and stroked her hair. Looking down at her, I knew I had to uphold my end of the bargain somehow.

When I awakened her at the Seattle airport, she got up and stretched. When she shook out her hair, I inhaled deeply. The burn in my throat was almost soothing to me now. It meant that my Bella was close by and that was where I always wanted her to be.

I tickled her, mostly trying to get her to put her arms down and stop looking so sexy. There might be an incredible surcharge from the limo company if I shredded all the seats. I already had to pay extra for the chauffeur to drive as fast as he did to get here, promising that I would also pay for any tickets and have them expunged from his record.

Bella suddenly lunged at me, landing in my lap and kissing me all over. This would not do. I held her away from me and thought, "_Damn it, Edward. She is going to think you don't want her!"_ Then she started the pouting. _How strong does she really think I am?_ I shook my head at her and said, "No, love, I'm not telling you where we are going, but I will tell you that before you go any further, we have to _get_ there." I gave her my crooked smile that she loves so much, knowing that this would get me my way. Thankfully, the chauffeur opened the car door so I could scramble out of there. She smelled so good. I was dying to touch her.

I managed to keep our destination from her until we arrived at the gate and when she saw where we were headed, her eyes lit up. It pleased me that she was happy.

I watched her sleep throughout the flight. She was so beautiful and innocent lying there in my arms. She hardly stirred and only dreamed a little bit. She sighed and said, "Mmmmm, my Edward," a couple of times. Every time she did, it sent electrical shocks through my body. I was desperate for the plane to land.

When it finally did, I led Bella to the next gate so we could complete our journey to Nice. Bella did not sleep on this flight, but gazed into my eyes instead. I could never tire of her eyes on me or mine on hers. I tried hard to control myself as I gazed back at her. It was a struggle every second that we were on the plane.

I was driving too fast to get to the Chateau and Bella knew it. To her credit, she did not say anything. She concentrated on watching me rather than trying to see how fast I was going. I knew I was not adhering to her wishes for me to drive slower when she was with me, but I was growing tired of waiting to be there.

I wanted Bella very badly, but was still very nervous about it. I knew it was inevitable. I had promised her we would try. A fleeting thought passed through me that told me I wanted it regardless of the danger. _When did I become so reckless when it came to Bella?_ _I have gone to long lengths to protect her and keep her safe from the monster in me._ Out of necessity, I had developed more control in the last two years than I ever had before. I did not want to hurt my precious, fragile, beautiful Bella.

I had gone to great expense to make sure that Chateau de Bella was perfect when we arrived and I was not disappointed. The fence around the property was up, the lights were on in the house, the boat was docked in the sparkling sea, and the sun was setting as we arrived.

***********************************

**Bella**

We entered a gate in a very high, thick, and long fence. The sun was setting over the Mediterranean Sea as we pulled up in front of a beautiful home. The beach stretched out in front of the house, sloping down into the sea, and the water sparkled. I could see that the long fence stretched all the way into the water, both nearby, and a ways down the beach. A long pier stretched out into the water and a large boat was docked there. I was impressed.

When Edward parked, I reached for the door handle. Edward was practically growling when he said, "Oh no you don't, Mrs. Cullen. You will wait right there for just a moment please." I pulled my hand back and waited, remembering what Alice had told me, though I did not think that this was quite the situation to which she was referring.

I waited until Edward came around to my door to open it. I stepped out of the car and he swept me into his arms. He began kissing me softly all over my face and neck as he carried me through the door and up a large marble staircase into a bedroom that must have stretched over half of the large house. He gently sat me on the bed and stood next to me with his arms around me. I weaved my arms around his waist and buried my head in his chest. I sighed. "This is a beautiful home, Edward, did you rent it?"

Edward chuckled gently. "No, love, this is your other wedding present, Chateau de Bella. It is ours."

I was shocked and sat up to look around. "Chateau de Bella," I questioned, "how did you find a Chateau named Bella?"

Edward laughed. "I named it, of course! Now then, would you like a human moment, my love?"

"But, Edward! Yes, I, I need a human…Edward, how much did you spend on this? Can we…afford this?" I should have known better than to ask. I think I offended him. I was just amazed at the lengths Edward would go to trying to make me happy when he was all I really wanted.

***********************************

**Edward**

When I stopped the car, Bella reached for her door handle and I had to stop her. This was our house and I was carrying her across the threshold, like it or not! I know she detected the growl in my throat when I told her not to open the door, but I was already having difficulty keeping myself under control, and it was only a little growl. She did not appear to be upset and obediently put her hands back in her lap and waited. She was watching me, but not with fear.

I jumped out of the car and removed the luggage from the trunk at top speed before I opened her door. As soon as she stepped out of the car, I swept her up and carried her, kissing her, all the way to the bedroom. I sat her down on the edge of the bed, but left my arms around her. She buried her head in my chest. _Oh Bella, you smell so good. I want to take you right now._

I was amused when she asked if I had rented the Chateau. When I told her it was ours, she protested of course. "_Can we afford this?" Honestly! _My sweet Bella is so gorgeous when I try to spoil her and she tries to act as if she does not like it. The wonderment in her eyes when she reaches acceptance makes it all worthwhile. I would never tire of spoiling her for all eternity. She would just have to get used to me spending money on her.

I pointed her in the direction of the bathroom for her "human moment," sensing that if I lingered, she would not get one. My precious little seductress placed a blistering kiss on my lips before she went. _I wish she could see the turmoil inside me when she does that. She might not be so eager._ I quickly swallowed the venom that had pooled in my mouth as she bounced off to the bathroom.

As soon as she was out of sight, I dashed down the stairs to take care of some chores. I brought the luggage in and put everything away except her suitcase. The shower was running so I slipped in the bathroom and laid it out for her. I glanced at the plethora of lingerie in there and smirked. _Alice._ I knew Bella would be discouraged at her choices, but she would find something. Any one or nothing at all would be fine with me. I watched her shadow in the shower for a moment, hoping she didn't catch me. How trusting she is to have not locked the bathroom door. I could ravage her in the shower right now if I dared. I quickly let myself out of the bathroom before this thought overtook me.

I ran to the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of champagne that was chilling there and a glass. I opened the refrigerator and found a lovely fruit and cheese plate waiting for us. I grabbed it as well and dashed back to the bedroom.

I lit a fire in the fireplace, even though it was rather warm. I turned on the stereo, turned down the bed, and opened the doors to the balcony. I strategically placed candles around the room where they would not blow out from the breeze coming in off the ocean. Lastly, I stripped down to my black silk boxers and put on the black silk robe that Alice had given me. I laid down on the bed to wait for my wife to come out of the bathroom, but thought better of it and moved to the balcony.

I leaned on the balcony and looked out at the ocean thinking about what was soon to come. I was full of fear for Bella's safety, but wanted this so much, for both of us, that I would do everything that I could to make it work.

***********************************

**Bella**

When I got out of the shower, I noticed my suitcase lying open on a bench in the bathroom. I smiled. _Edward has been here._ I meticulously brushed my teeth and hair, and then went to the suitcase to find something to put on. I dug through it and cursed Alice under my breath. There was more lingerie in here than there was in a Victoria's Secret store! I pulled piece after piece of scanty looking items of 'clothing,' if you could call them that, out of the suitcase until I found something that I felt was suitable. I slipped it on and looked in the mirror. It was sapphire blue silk. It left my shoulders bare save for the straps, but covered the rest of me to mid-thigh. It had a matching robe, which I slipped on as well. I struggled with whether I should wear panties. I decided to be bold and leave them off.

I checked myself in the mirror again and suddenly had butterflies in my stomach to point that I felt sick. I leaned against the bathroom counter trying to catch my breath. I was unsure why I was feeling like this at first, but reality slowly kicked in and I knew that I was extremely nervous about what was to come. I lingered in the bathroom as long as I dared but knew that putting it off was only going to make me more nervous. I knew Edward was out there waiting for me.

I looked in the mirror one more time and put some lip-gloss on. I sighed and decided it was way past time for me to emerge. If I stalled much longer, he was going to be in here to see if I had drowned in the toilet. I looked down at the toilet and considered it for just a fleeting second, then reached for the bathroom door.

It was like walking into a different room when I arrived. The lights were down, beautiful music was playing, and a bottle of champagne along with a fruit and cheese plate were sitting on a table near the fireplace that now had a large fire raging in it. I noticed that it was quite warm in the room. There were candles everywhere, the bed was turned down, and the doors to the balcony were standing wide open. There, on the balcony, was where I found My Edward.

He looked like a Greek God standing on the terrace, leaning on the railing, looking out at the sea. I caught my breath when I saw the breeze blowing through his bronze hair. I stood frozen in place for a moment. I wanted to etch this vision in my mind forever.

***********************************

**Edward**

Twenty-seven minutes and thirteen agonizing seconds later, she came out of the bathroom. Her scent washed over me as she approached. She smelled delicious. I heard her heart pounding as she walked towards me. I felt the heat from her body before I felt her arms wrap around me. I was already starting to lose it, and we had not yet begun. When she kissed my back, I thought I would come undone.

I turned to face her and she was a vision. She looked like a goddess in blue silk with her brown hair falling over her shoulders. I leaned down and inhaled her scent deeply. My body reacted to it intensely and I tried to maintain control.

When I knew that I could manage, I put my arms around her and sat her on the balcony railing. She did not look afraid and this made me even bolder. I kissed her harder than I had intended to and ran my hands up and down her back. My mind was screaming at me to stop before I lost control and then she spread her legs apart and pulled me towards her. _Does she have a death wish?_ I had my doubts about how I was going to do this without killing her. I determined that would just have to concentrate harder and stop letting her do these little things that drove me mad. I wondered how to do this without making her feel unwanted.

While I was arguing with myself, my hand brushed across her bottom and she moaned. _Oh my God, how can I do this? She isn't going to survive. I have to stop now…but I can't._

I kissed her everywhere, trying hard not to tear into her neck. I could hear and smell her aromatic blood pulsing through her arteries, singing to me. I suddenly felt as though the time I had spent desensitizing myself to Bella's blood was all for naught. I looked up at her to see if she had detected any hint of my thoughts, but she just closed her eyes and leaned back on my arms. _Oh Bella, you are definitely going to be the death of both of us._

***********************************

**Bella**

When I walked onto the balcony, I slipped my arms around him, and laid my head on his back. He shifted slightly and I could hear him breathing a little harder than usual. I kissed his back and he slowly turned around to face me. He leaned down, buried his face in my hair, and inhaled a long slow breath. I felt myself melt on the spot.

His strong arms caught me around my waist, picked me up, and sat me on the balcony railing. I wasn't frightened because I knew that he would not let me fall. I was trusting him with everything tonight. I knew that my Edward would keep me safe.

His honey-golden eyes smoldered as he looked at me. He didn't say anything but very slowly leaned in and placed his lips on mine. He was so gentle yet, so strong. He kissed me almost fiercely, but did not hurt me. His hands were running up and down my back over the silk. I spread my legs apart and pulled him closer to me. When he stepped forward, I wrapped my legs around him slowly. He seemed to be concentrating, and I did not want to disturb him, but I needed to have him as close to me as possible. I wanted him so badly at that moment.

His hand brushed across my buttocks and I let out a very small moan. His lips were hungrily kissing my lips, my face, my ears, my neck, and my chest. He rose up and looked at me questioningly once and I closed my eyes and leaned back into his arms to urge him on.

He picked me up, carried me to the bed, and crawled onto it with me. "My beautiful Bella, my wife, my _lover…"_ he breathed into my ear. A surge of heat raced through me.

***********************************

**Edward**

Finally deciding that I was not going to get out of this, I picked her up and carried her to the bed. When I whispered, "My beautiful Bella, my wife, my lover," the scent of her arousal washed over me. I inhaled deeply and delighted in the glory of it. I berated myself mentally for encouraging her because it was only making things more difficult for me. I wanted nothing more, for just a fleeting moment, than to run away again. I wanted to throw myself across the room and tell her no, but how could I? I could see, feel, and smell how much she wanted this, wanted me. I could not deny her. I promised I would try.

She was kissing me and running her hands all over my body. With every small sigh she uttered, my desire for her increased exponentially. The smell of her arousal was so strong now, stronger than it ever had been. I realized that usually when I caught this scent, Bella was fully clothed, but now she was not and it excited and frightened me. I wondered if I would be able to stop myself from hurting her and struggled against my will to remain in control.

I slipped her robe off her shoulders, just to get a taste of what was to come and almost lost my composure. Her shoulders looked so beautiful there in the candlelight with the soft blue silk against her pale skin. I could feel my breath coming much faster as I inhaled her scent and kissed her shoulders. I wanted so much for this to go as planned, but still doubted that I would be able to continue to control myself. I just had to.

Bella reached up and untied my robe. As she pushed it off me, she kissed my neck and shoulders. I shuddered to think what that one bold move could have cost her. The monster within me was stirring in a completely unfamiliar way to me. My feelings of lust were calming, but dangerous.

I made a snap decision to throw caution to the wind and tossed my robe on the floor. Then, I took Bella's off and tossed it aside as well. She reached up and traced my lips with her finger and I wanted to take her right then. I kissed her and then brought myself to a halting stop. I looked into her eyes and attempted to look stern even though I was wrought with passion.

"Bella, I promised that we would try. You must promise me that you will stop me if I hurt you in any way. You have to promise or I cannot go on. You may have to scream or slap me to get my attention, but promise you will stop me, no matter how much you think it will be okay to continue, if I hurt you or frighten you, you HAVE to stop me."

I knew as I was saying it, that perceptive Bella could certainly hear the fear in my voice. I decided that this was probably a good thing. My Bella could use a good dose of fear; it might just be the thing that keeps her alive and unharmed. She gave me her promise and I watched her face to make sure that she was sincere. She seemed to have truth in her eyes.

***********************************

**Bella**

I sighed and turned towards him placing my lips full on his and explored his torso with my hands. The silk against his granite skin felt so good and I could feel the heat in my body rising.

Edward gently untied my robe and slipped it off my shoulders. I heard his breath hitch as he did so and then his breath came much faster as he started devouring my shoulders with his lips. I reached up and untied his robe as well. I slipped it down on his arms and began kissing his neck and shoulders. I felt him shudder beneath my touch and smiled to myself. I held myself back from pushing him over and jumping on him right then. I knew that would not go along with Alice's plan for me to not be too aggressive. I idly wondered if I was going along with her plan very well anyway.

He quickly slipped out of the robe and tossed it on the floor, then helped me out of mine. I traced his lips with my finger as he tossed it on the floor as well. He leaned down and kissed me, then stopped suddenly and stared into my eyes.

"Bella, I promised that we would try. You must promise me that you will stop me if I hurt you in any way. You have to promise or I cannot go on. You may have to scream or slap me to get my attention, but promise me you will stop me, no matter how much you think it will be okay to continue, if I hurt you or frighten you, you HAVE to stop me." His voice was urgent, almost frightened.

"I promise, Edward. I will not let you hurt me. I promise."

***********************************

**Edward**

I slid my hand down to her hip and paused, watching to see if she was frightened enough to stop me, but instead she arched her back towards me and closed her eyes. _WHY is she doing this to me? Vixen!_

"You are going to be the death of me, Bella, I swear you are," I said with an unintentional growl in my voice. Instinct was taking over and it alarmed me. That monster that I always kept so carefully hidden away was screaming in my head, but I was past the point of stopping. I reached up to push the strap of her nightgown down then I recklessly sat her up and pushed the other strap down. Just as I started to lean in and place a kiss upon her exposed skin, she did the damndest thing. She pulled the blasted thing completely off.

Venom flooded my mouth instantaneously and primal instinct rose in my body. I could feel the monster that I had caged for the night clawing to get out. Here I was with her and she was completely naked and vulnerable before me, far too willing for me to have my way with her no matter what it cost her, or me.

She was stunningly beautiful. The thought crossed my mind to burn all of her clothes and make her remain naked forever. I swallowed the venom in my mouth and Bella looked down. I knew that Bella had seen me swallow and realized what had happened. I knew I had to try to placate her.

I placed my finger under her chin and raised her face back to mine. "Don't look down, love. You are just so beautiful. I knew this was going to be hard. You have no idea how many times, while I spent the night watching you sleep, that I imagined this moment. I would listen to you say my name and imagine you saying it just like this, beautiful, naked, and glorious."

"Edward," she said slyly.

I leaned in quickly to kiss her, and without any rational thought in my mind, I wanted more. "Bella, I'm going to kiss you, but I don't want you to move, I don't want you to do anything dangerous. Please just let me kiss you." She nodded.

Obviously, Bella had a death wish. She was too easy to please, too easy to overcome. If I did not love her so much, she would not have survived a second past taking her clothes off tonight. If she had any sense at all of the danger she was in, she would stop me right now. As it were, I wanted to make love to Bella much more than I wanted to drink her blood.

I leaned in to kiss her and parted her lips, tasting her scent on my tongue. Then, in another reckless move, I pushed my tongue into her mouth so I could truly taste her. She was delicious. I quickly withdrew my tongue from her mouth before it became too much for me to handle. She went limp in my arms. Her heart was pounding and that beautiful blush was creeping onto every part of her body. She had a knowing smile on her lips that told me she knew exactly how much danger she was in and didn't care.

This seemed to push the monster inside me further and he began to take over all my thoughts. I kissed her again with my tongue and touched her breast. When I felt her nipple harden and her body trembling in my arms, I felt a stir in my loins. I didn't want to frighten Bella with my erection, so I carefully kept her away from it. The monster didn't seem to like this idea, but I shoved him back into his cage.

Bella was moaning and throwing her head back, recklessly exposing her neck to me. I tried not to breathe, but to no avail. I had to breathe. I had to smell her. The smell of Bella's blood had nothing on the scent of her arousal. It was sumptuous. Here she was, naked in my lap, and I could feel her wetness on my leg. I licked her nipple and felt pure awe at the reaction she had.

***********************************

**Bella**

After my promise, he searched my eyes for a moment and looked satisfied with what he found there. His hand slid down my arm to my hip and paused while he watched me. I closed my eyes and my back arched slightly. It was the smallest move, completely involuntary, but it made him gasp.

"You are going to be the death of me, Bella, I swear you are," he growled.

I let a slight smile creep across my face and reached up to caress his face, shoulder, and chest. His cool skin felt so good against mine in the hot room and I realized he had lit the fire purposely to make it hot so that his skin could cool me. I smiled to myself and moaned slightly as Edward's hand, which had lain on my hip for several moments, returned to my shoulder and removed the strap of my negligee.

He sat me up and pulled the other strap down. I looked at him for a brief moment, then reached for the bottom of the gown and pulled it over my head, tossing it on the floor. I looked at Edward to gauge his reaction. His eyes were blazing with desire. He swallowed hard and I knew that this had been a bold move for me. I was making it harder for him and I instantly regretted it.

My eyes fluttered down but Edward's finger caught my chin and he said, "Don't look down, love. You are just so beautiful. I knew this was going to be hard. You have no idea how many times, while I spent the night watching you sleep, that I imagined this moment. I would listen to you say my name and imagine you saying it just like this, beautiful, naked, and glorious."

I looked back up into his eyes. "Edward."

He leaned in to kiss me and stopped. He pulled away, just a fraction of an inch and said, "Bella, I'm going to kiss you, but I don't want you to move, I don't want you to do anything dangerous. Please just let me kiss you." I nodded slightly and closed my eyes. I felt his lips on mine and then I felt his lips parting mine slightly. I shuddered as his tongue gently swept my lips and darted into my mouth, just touching the tip of my tongue before he withdrew it. I went completely limp and just lay there in his arms, eyes closed, and heart pounding, every inch of my body blushing, naked and vulnerable before Edward. He could have killed me right then and I wouldn't have cared. There were worse ways to die and if he killed me right now, I would die happy.

Edward kissed me this way again and I felt his cool hand brush across my breast. My nipple hardened under his touch and I shuddered again. I moaned slightly and threw my head back, exposing my neck to him further. I was almost begging him to bite me. He nibbled on my neck with his lips and then leaned down to catch my hardened nipple in his mouth. I felt his tongue gently flick the tip of my erect nipple and my head lolled back over his arm. I arched my back and my hips jumped. I had never felt anything like this before. I had wanted Edward for a long time, but this was excruciating. I felt my body flush hot and my core burned. I felt wetness pooling underneath me. I wasn't going to be able to take much more.

I heard Edward chuckle gently and then he brushed his lips across my nipple once more before placing them on my stomach and kissing me all over my torso. His hand was running down my hip, over my thigh, and down to my knee. I stretched my leg out under his touch and his hand found the inside of my leg. He gently ran his cool hand up the inside of my thigh, stopping just inches away from my burning core. He then ran his hand down the inside of my other thigh and let it linger at my knee while he devoured me with his lips.

Edward shifted me slightly in his arm and then laid me back down on the bed. He leaned over me and caressed my legs, stomach, and breasts with his hand. I could feel his eyes boring into me but I was so far gone I could not even open my eyes right now. He was driving me mad with desire. He kept avoiding the heat of my core and I could feel my hips occasionally thrust upwards towards his touch. I heard his slight laugh at this and then he repeated the move that had caused it. He started whispering, "Oh Bella, my Bella," over and over. My breathing was ragged and his almost matched mine.

***********************************

**Edward**

I chuckled at her in spite of the monster screaming at me to take her. I kissed her everywhere. I ran my free hand down her leg, across her luscious thigh. She moved her leg slightly so that I could run my hand back up the inside of her thigh. I carefully avoided the beautiful mound between her legs fearing that if I touched her there right now, it would be all over before we had begun. I ran my leg down the inside of her other leg and kissed her even more passionately, if that was possible.

I put her down on the bed and touched her everywhere. I could not take my eyes off her. Her body was so responsive to my touch. She could not even know how delirious she was making me with her sighs and groans and the way her body moved. I continued to avoid the area from which all the heat was emanating but came dangerously close and she thrust her hips up at my hand. I laughed and repeated this move just to see her do it again. I could hear myself panting but I was no longer in complete control of myself. The monster was preying on her and he was going to have his way. The rational part of my mind started saying "Oh Bella, my Bella…" which was my way of telling her, and myself, that I was still with her. I had not let the monster totally take over yet.

***********************************

**Bella**

At this point, I decided that Alice's advice was going to be very hard to follow. I fought the urge to jump on him, tear off his boxers, and ride him unmercifully. I wanted to kiss him as hard as I could and explore his mouth with my tongue, teeth be damned. I wanted his body all over mine. I wanted him inside me. I started squirming slightly and felt Edward stop suddenly. I opened my eyes and he was just lying there, gazing at me.

***********************************

**Edward**

I could see her struggling with something. I might not be able to read Bella's mind, but I could read her face rather well. I watched her carefully to see what she might be struggling with and noted her squirming more urgently than she had been before. I stopped moving and just watched her vigilantly.

When she opened her eyes, she looked almost bewildered. I said to her in a low voice, "Am I not pleasing you, my love?"

Too quickly and too urgently, she answered, "Of course you are, Edward, I just want, I want…more." This made the monster rear his ugly head again and he began lunging forward in my mind. I was trying my hardest to push him back, but he was not so easily turned away.

I saw that Bella was watching me, so I placed a smile on my face and said, "Yes, my love, you shall have what you want soon enough," _Even if it kills you,_ I added in my mind.

I quickly slipped my boxers off and waited for her reaction. I watched her and softly stroked her skin. I looked at her beautiful naked body before me and thought that some demon must be playing a trick on me to make me think that I would be strong enough to manage this. I inadvertently started rubbing my leg against her leg and her eyes wandered downward over my body. I felt a sudden gush of fear arise in me that she would be frightened by my naked and erect state. She stopped breathing when her eyes reached my manhood.

"Breathe, Bella. Are you frightened?"

This beautiful, crazy, psychotic woman just said, "No, I am just overcome with desire for you, my love."

***********************************

**Bella**

"Am I not pleasing you, my love?"

_What is he, crazy? _"Of course you are, Edward, I just want, I want…more," I said and then watched his reaction.

He looked slightly uncomfortable. Then he smiled and said, "Yes, my love, you shall have what you want soon enough."

I had waited for this moment for months. I was eager and burning inside when he reached down to slip off his boxers and tossed them aside. He laid there looking at me, stroking me with his free hand. His eyes were drinking in my body and his breathing had become quite ragged indeed. His leg was stroking against my leg and I finally got the courage up to look at him, really look at him, and see my beautiful vampire husband naked for the first time. My eyes consumed every inch of him. His manhood was standing erect between his legs amongst a small soft patch of golden bronze hair. His muscles were all well defined and glorious. I wanted to partake of every part of him all at once.

"Breathe, Bella," he whispered in my ear while nibbling on it with his lips. "Are you frightened?"

"No," I rasped. "I am just overcome with desire for you, my love."

He continued to nibble on my ear and neck for a moment, and then shifted his weight to hold himself above me. He gently pushed my legs apart and then let himself down until his manhood was just touching my mound. I groaned and bucked my hips impulsively. He leaned on me slightly as he again kissed and sucked on my nipples. He brought his lips to my face and kissed me again, pushing his tongue into my mouth, letting it linger there longer this time. I slightly closed my lips around his tongue and he quickly pulled it out of my mouth and trembled almost imperceptibly. I made a mental note not to do that again.

I bent my knees so that my feet were flat on the bed and Edward started kissing me again. His voice was low and clear in my ear as he said, "My love, you are driving me absolutely over the edge. I would appreciate it if you would take the seduction down just a notch so that I don't suck out every drop of blood you have right now."

I nodded my head slightly and continued exploring his body with my hands. I curbed the urge to reach between us and stroke his manhood that was pressing into my belly. Instead, I ran my hands down his perfect back and over his buttocks.

I knew I was pushing my luck, but I could not wait any longer, I had to have him and it had to be now. My body was screaming for release. My core was throbbing. I pulled him close to me and pushed my body into his. I started to wrap my legs around him when he stopped me. He was panting. I opened my eyes and was startled to see his eyes black and wild looking. I had gone too far. I was fearful for the first time, but tried to hide it. Tentatively I said, "Edward?"

***********************************

**Edward**

I thought on her statement for the slightest moment while I kissed her ear and her neck. I felt pretty much in control right now and the monster had retreated to his cage, though he was still clawing and screaming to get out. I shifted my body to cover hers. I nearly went berserk when my erect member touched her skin. I did not try to enter her just now. I wanted to make sure that I could maintain control. I kissed her, suckled her nipples, and then went back to her mouth. I parted her lips again and snaked my tongue inside of her mouth. I was completely overcome by her taste.

The monster broke free from his cage and started streaking around taking control of every part of my mind this time. While I was mentally fighting him back, she closed her lips around my tongue. He screamed in my ear, "Take her, take her now, she won't feel a thing, you can have her blood now, she will let you have it!" I immediately withdrew my tongue from her mouth and felt my whole body tremble as I struggled to keep the monster at bay.

Once I felt that I was back in control, she moved her legs so that her feet were flat on the bed. I decided I was going to have to ask her to calm down a bit because if she did not, this was going to end badly.

"My love, you are driving me absolutely over the edge. I would appreciate it if you would take the seduction down just a notch so that I don't suck out every drop of blood you have right now."

This did not seem to faze her in the slightest, although she nodded her head. She kept running her beautiful perfect hands over my body. She had no idea how much of a war was going on within my mind. The part of me that loved and desired to make love to her without hurting her was being tortured by the part of me that only wanted to kill her and drink her precious blood that sang louder to me now than it ever had before.

Suddenly she started writhing beneath me, pulling me closer to her and pushing her body into mine. Her legs started to go up and around my hips and I knew I had to stop her. I needed some time to get back in control. I was losing the war in my mind with the dreadful monster. She would not understand what was going on in my head right now. My breathing was uncontrollable and I knew when she looked at me that she could see the monster in my eyes. She looked terribly frightened. _Finally. _

She said my name questioningly but I did not answer her right away. Instead, I rolled away from her and tried to get the monster back in the cage he had broken out of so many times tonight.

I finally got him under control and got his screaming to stop briefly. I sat up on the edge of the bed and buried my face in my hands from shame that I was just not strong enough to do what Bella wanted and needed me to do.

She came to me, pressed her lips against my neck, and apologized to me for pushing me. Then she had the audacity to ask me to try again. I felt even more humiliated now at her disappointment.

I choked out the words that I needed more time. She didn't move but said, "You can have all the time you need, Edward, just please don't give up on this, please?"

What kind of man was I? I had the most beautiful wife in the world and I could not even please her in the most fundamental of ways for fear I would kill her in the act. All the time I had spent teaching myself control seemed a waste to me now. I had to find a way to be able to do this. I just had to. At that moment, I felt more selfish than I ever had in my existence.

I sat up slightly and she wrapped her wonderful arms around me and pressed her breasts into my back. I wondered if she was trying to drive me mad so I would kill myself, or her. Finally, I spoke.

"Bella, you really do amaze me every single day. Here I am doing everything I can to not kill you and you are apologizing to me and begging me for more. I can not even begin to imagine what I have done in my life to deserve an angel like you."

The reply I got did not really surprise me, coming from Bella.

"I love you, Edward. Don't question why, just revel in the glory of it. I have never been happier than I am right here with you."

Only my silly Bella could be happy here with me right now. Sexually frustrated, not understanding how close she had been to death, but wanting more of me. I sighed, removed her arms, and stood. Bella's stomach was growling and I decided if I took some time to feed her a bit, I might gain a bit more control and be able to continue. I was hopeful anyway.

***********************************

**Bella**

He rolled away from me and lay on the bed panting. I knew he was trying to maintain control of himself so I did not move. I laid perfectly still watching him closely. I was gasping for breath as well, but tried to remain quiet and let him regain his composure. The thought that he might not be able to do this went fleetingly through my mind, but I pushed it aside.

After what seemed like forever, he sat up, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and held his face in his hands. I crawled to him cautiously and kissed the back of his neck lightly. "I'm sorry, Edward. I was pushing you too hard and I'm sorry. I will try to be good, I promise. Please can we try some more?"

He said in a small voice, "I. Need. A. Little. More. Time. Bella. I'm sorry, just a little more time." He seemed to be relaxing as he said the words.

"You can have all the time you need, Edward, just please don't give up on this, please?"

Now he sat a little straighter and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I laid my head on his shoulder and sighed. I hoped that he would not give up. I desperately wanted him to know how badly I wanted this to happen for us, although I think he already knew. I wanted to tell him that it would be all right, that I knew he would not hurt me. I thought better of it knowing that he would probably argue with me.

His strong hands stroked my arms. "Bella, you really do amaze me every single day. Here I am doing everything I can to not kill you and you are apologizing to me and begging me for more. I can not even begin to imagine what I have done in my life to deserve an angel like you."

"I love you, Edward. Don't question why, just revel in the glory of it. I have never been happier than I am right here with you."

Edward sighed, then gently removed my arms from around him and stood. I sat back on my heels and pouted. "You are giving up?"

He bent over, kissed me softly on the mouth, and said, "You are hungry, love."

He went over to the table and popped the cork on the champagne bottle. He poured some champagne in the glass and then brought it and the fruit plate over to me. He picked up a strawberry and dipped it in the champagne, then fed it to me. It tasted wonderful. I had not even noticed that I was hungry, but it had been several hours since I last ate. Edward and I sat naked on the bed and he fed me bits of fruit and cheese, occasionally giving me a drink of the champagne. I wondered idly if he was trying to get me drunk so I would just pass out. I knew this wasn't true, but the bubbles in the champagne were certainly making me feel funny.

We were talking about nothing in particular and I kept giggling. He cocked his head to the side and looked at me, then took the champagne glass and replaced it with a glass of water.

"How does that feel? The champagne I mean," he said.

I looked at him incredulously and then realized that my husband had been only seventeen when he was changed. He had probably never tasted alcohol, let alone get tipsy. I was only eighteen, but I had drunk wine at special dinners with Renee lots of times. Only one other time had I felt remotely tipsy. I considered this and then said, "Well, it kind of feels like my head is… foggy." Then I added, "And everything is really funny." I giggled and Edward smiled.

I drank down the glass of water and ate a couple of pieces of cheese. I handed the glass to Edward and he said, "Are you through, my love?" I smiled and nodded. I could already feel the slight effect the champagne had going away.

***********************************

**Edward**

She pouted, of course. I knew that she would protest, but I insisted. I kissed her lightly so she would not think she was any less desirable, but told her she was hungry. I suspected she had not even noticed.

I brought her a glass of champagne and the fruit plate. I dipped a strawberry in the champagne and fed it to her. She looked glorious when she ate. When the time came to change her, I was going to miss feeding my Bella. She had no idea how much I loved feeding her and watching her eat. Just to see her lips close around the strawberries stirred me in the deepest of my desires.

I started making small talk with her just to get taking her on the spot off my mind. I fed her fruit, cheese, and champagne and slowly noticed that she had started giggling almost uncontrollably. I realized that I was getting her drunk with the champagne. I quickly took the glass away and got her a glass of water. I was oddly curious and I asked her how the champagne made her feel.

She giggled when she told me that it made her head foggy and that everything seemed funny. This brought a smile to my face in spite of my somber mood.

She drank the water and ate a little bit of cheese. Then she handed me the glass. I asked if she was through and she nodded. She didn't seem quite so silly now and I was glad that the food and water had calmed the effects of the champagne. What kind of sick bastard would I be if I got my new bride drunk before I ravaged her body? She would have no inhibition left and would not even think to tell me if I was hurting her. I berated myself mentally for several moments for this.

I removed the dishes and decided I had to try one more time. I went back to her and made up my mind that I was going to speed things forth just a bit to give my monster less time to get loose.

***********************************

**Bella**

Edward swiftly removed the dishes and was back at my side in a flash. I was still sitting on in the middle of the bed and he gathered me up into his arms and kissed me passionately on the lips, parting my lips with his tongue again. I sighed and let my head drop back and he began kissing my neck more intensely this time than he had before. He laid me back on the bed once again and let his hands and lips explore my body. I shuddered under his touch but did not try to provoke him to go any faster than he needed to.

His tongue swirled over my erect nipples and I groaned loudly. Then his hand found its way to my mound. He let his hand lay on me, feeling the heat that was, no doubt, emanating from my center.

"Mmmm, you are so warm and delicious," he muttered in my ear. I moaned again and my hips twitched slightly. He took the hint and moved his hand further down, exploring my nether region with his fingers.

He stopped kissing me for a moment and watched me writhe with his touch. I opened my eyes to look into his smoldering eyes again and I felt his erection press against my hip. He pushed one finger gently to my opening and let it linger there. He continued to watch me and I continued to let my body tell him how good he felt. This time though, I put the urgency aside and just let him do as he pleased.

***********************************

**Edward**

I took her in my arms and kissed her passionately, once again allowing my tongue to part her lips. I had the monster firmly caged and although he stirred, he did not start screaming at me. She dropped her head back again, and I nibbled on her neck in earnest.

She also seemed more relaxed and in control now, and this helped immensely. I laid her back on the bed and explored every inch of her lovely body. She trembled and moaned but did not try anything crazy like wrapping her legs around me.

The monster was still firmly in his cage and Bella was cooperating, so I decided I was going to take things a step further. I wanted to maintain a pace that kept the monster at bay, but allowed for as much enjoyment as possible on both our parts.

I tongued her nipples and slid my hand down to her mound, letting it linger there. Waves of heat were coming off her body and I told her how warm and delicious she was.

She moaned and ground her hips against my hand, so I slid my hand down further and began to explore her with my fingers. I stopped kissing her so I could concentrate on watching her enjoyment. I took mental notes of the things she seemed to like the most.

She opened her eyes and stared at me with those beautiful brown eyes that I could not resist. I knew she could feel my erect member against her leg and I thrust it gently into her warm soft skin. She watched me as I slid a finger to her opening and she continued to writhe around trying to push herself onto my finger. When I finally allowed my finger to enter her, she gasped and arched her body onto my hand. The intensity of her reactions were incredible and I was pleased that I was still completely in control of myself.

I decided that it might be a good trial for me to push her a little further and make sure that as she experienced the throes of passion, I would continue to be able to sustain my control. I was thrilled at how deliciously her body was responding to my ministrations. She opened her eyes occasionally to look at me and I hoped that this was to gauge my reactions. It was my desire that she understood how close she had come to pushing me too far earlier, and was being a bit more careful now.

***********************************

**Bella**

Finally, after a long moment, he gently pushed his finger into my wet center. I gasped and my back arched. His cool finger felt sensational against my heat. I heard his breathing increase and I opened my eyes again to gauge his reaction. His eyes remained honey-gold and I knew that he was still completely in control.

He brought his leg up over mine and pulled it closer to him, spreading my legs further apart. He pushed his finger deeper inside me and pressed his palm down on my mound. "Oh, Edward, that feels so gooood," I moaned. Edward smiled then, and slowly added a second finger to the first.

His movements were becoming slightly more urgent and I felt his hips softly thrusting against me. His wonderfully cool erection pressed against the burning flesh of my hip and felt unbelievable. His fingers inside me were driving me crazy and his palm was pressing against the tiny bundle of nerves buried in my mound with just the right amount of pressure.

I could feel a deep ache building inside of me and I did not want it to come, not like this, but I knew that everything Edward did was calculating so I tried not to hold back.

My eyes were closed tight and I was writhing against Edward's hand when I heard him whisper softly in my ear, "Come for me, my sweet angel. Let me see you come."

This stripped away my last bit of inhibition and sent me into a tidal wave of ecstasy. My fingers impulsively gripped the sheets, my back arched, and I cried out as my muscles convulsed around Edward's fingers. I heard him moan as I lost myself to the orgasm that racked my body.

***********************************

**Edward**

Using my leg, I spread her legs further apart. I pressed my finger deeper inside her and applied some pressure to her mound with my palm. She squealed and groaned and said, "Oh, Edward, that feels so gooood." I could see that she was enjoying herself and smiled at her as I slowly and gently slid a second finger into her, carefully avoiding the thin piece of skin that still partially blocked her passage.

Her body's response told me that I had her right where I wanted her. She was so wet and warm. Her juices were spilling out of her and onto my hand. I added more urgency to my strokes while continuing to grind my palm against the bundle of nerves that I could feel throbbing beneath it. My hips instinctively continued to thrust my erection against her hip and her skin felt deliciously warm and soft rubbing against my member.

I saw her demeanor change slightly and knew, from things I had accidently seen over the years, that she was on the verge of an orgasm. I was extremely pleased that she was already that excited. The monster was still firmly locked in his cage and I wanted very much to watch her peak overtake her.

I could see in her face that she was holding back but I was determined to bring her to an orgasm now. I was enjoying this far too much to interrupt it. I was a bit shocked at my daring to say it when I leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Come for me, my sweet angel. Let me see you come." I worried that she would be offended by it, but she seemed to enjoy it.

I gently increased the pressure with my hand and all of a sudden, she threw back her head, clutched the sheet, and cried out. Her entire body tightened and trembled as her muscles convulsed around my fingers. I was utterly in awe of her and desperately wanted to crawl on top of her and take her immediately. I was definitely in complete control of the monster and was thrilled that things were going so well this time.

I reveled in the rapture of her body's response to just my hand. I could not wait to see what she would do when I finally entered her fully. My gaze never left her face and as her orgasm finally subsided, she opened her eyes. I reveled in the rapture of her body's response to just my hand. She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me feverishly.

***********************************

**Bella**

When it was over, I opened my eyes. He was still watching me intently and as his fingers slid out of me, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him, pulling him close. I was completely overwhelmed with passion and wanted more.

He quickly moved on top of me and gently pushed the tip of his manhood against my wet opening. I wrapped my legs around his waist, throwing all caution to the wind. I wanted him inside me and I wanted it now. Nothing was going to stop us this time.

I felt his erect member push against the entrance to my wet hole and I looked into his smoldering eyes as he slowly pushed it inside me. He was filling me completely and I winced when he pushed past and broke the small piece of skin that partially blocked my passage. He stopped and whispered, "Am I hurting you, Bella? I can stop if it is too much." I had known that this part was going to hurt a little and I shook my head no.

"No, Edward, please, don't stop, please…"

He smiled and continued, slowly pushing himself all the way in. Our ragged breathing was in sync when he stopped again, still staring at me. I was still watching him carefully for signs that he might be losing control, but I saw no sign of anything but passion in his eyes. He felt so good inside of me and my hot wet core throbbed against his cool member.

"Do you want me to stop, Bella?"

"God no, Edward, please stop teasing me, I can't take it…"

He finally started slowly moving back and forth inside me. I pulled him to me with my legs every time he thrust into me. I closed my eyes and threw my head back, drinking in his every motion. Every one of the muscles in his back rippled. His movements became more urgent, but still gentle.

Finally, I just let myself go. I fell into the throes of my ecstasy, not caring if Edward lost control. I bucked my hips to meet his thrusts and moaned loudly. I tossed my head back and forth and when I felt the orgasm coming again, I screamed, "I'm going to… I'm going to come… Oh, Edward!" Every muscle in my body contracted. I gripped my legs so tightly around his waist that I feared that I might break even him. My arms impulsively flew back to the bed and my fingers clutched at the sheet. I ground against him as I tossed my head back and forth and moaned loudly.

***********************************

**Edward**

I knew that I could not stall any longer. I steeled my mind against the monster again and firmly told him to stay where he was. I pulled myself on top of her, spreading her legs. I allowed my erection to push against her wetness. She threw her legs around my waist and pulled me closer.

I pushed into her gently, marveling at how warm and wet she felt. I moved slowly, waiting for her hymen to push against the tip of my penis. I was careful to avoid it with my fingers, not wanting to break it like that, but knew that it was inevitable now. My manhood was completely filling her. I saw her wince as I pushed against the small piece of skin and felt it give way. I immediately caught the scent of her blood, but ignored it.

I stopped and said, "Am I hurting you, Bella? I can stop if it is too much." I silently prayed that she would not ask me to stop. When she shook her head and then begged me not to stop, I was pleased. I smiled down at her and carefully pushed myself the rest of the way inside of her. It was completely amazing how wonderful and powerful it felt to have her pulsing around my manhood, writhing and moaning beneath me. The monster roared inside his cage, but made no move to break out.

She continued to watch me and I knew that she was being careful, watching my eyes for signs that I was losing control.

"Do you want me to stop Bella," I asked again.

"God no, Edward, please stop teasing me, I can't take it…"

I started slowly and carefully thrusting myself into her, basking in the feel of each thrust. Her body responded by pulling me closer to her, pulling me further inside her. She finally closed her eyes and relaxed and I began thrusting into her more urgently. She bucked, moaned, and nearly sent me over the edge a few times, but I continued to maintain all control until I saw that she was on the verge of another orgasm. She started screaming, "I'm going to… I'm going to come… Oh Edward!" and I thrust into her as hard as I dared. Her womanhood contracted around my erection and she squeezed me with her legs. Her fingers were tearing at the sheets and her beauty took me over the precipice.

Just as her orgasm was ending, my own orgasm raged through my body. I thrust into her one last time, fearing in the back of my mind that it was too hard and that I had broken her. I didn't hear any bones crunching and didn't feel that I could stop right now, so I put the thought out of my mind and enjoyed the feelings in my loins. She put her arms around my neck and held me tightly while my orgasm racked my body. I trembled as my cool liquid geysered into her. I had to use every bit of my vampiric strength not to collapse on top of her.

***********************************

**Bella**

Just as my orgasm was subsiding, I felt Edward's body stiffen. He thrust into me one more time and then stopped, buried to the hilt inside of me. He was shaking and I threw my arms around his neck to hold him while he moaned with the force of his orgasm. I felt his cool liquid fill my center and I laid there trying to catch my breath while Edward held himself above me.

When our breathing had slowed, he slowly started to withdraw from me. I tightened my legs a little, hoping he would stay, but he pulled himself from me so I released him.

He lay down on the bed next to me and gathered me up in his arms. He stroked my hair and whispered, "I love you, Bella, I love you, I love you…" I pressed my head against his chest. I was still trembling with the force of my orgasm. I whispered back to him "I love you, Edward…" and then I sighed. All of my strength felt gone. I felt him pull the covers over me and I drifted into a deep and dreamless sleep in my Edward's arms.

***********************************

**Edward**

When I had recovered slightly, I started to pull back from her. She tried to hold on but did not fight me. I laid down next to her and held her. I stroked her hair and whispered, "I love you Bella. I love you…" over and over.

I was ecstatic that I had conquered the monster and managed to complete our lovemaking. I wanted to run out to the balcony and shout across the ocean, "WE DID IT!" I settled for pulling the covers over her and holding her tight. She was still trembling when she nestled her head against my chest and said, "I love you, Edward…" As she drifted off to sleep, I thought about what an incredible experience this had been. I had not dreamed that it would be so good, even with the struggles I had maintaining control. I still felt completely satisfied. I decided that this had definitely been the best night of my existence.

She slept more soundly than usual and her breathing was slow and deep. She said my name a few times but did not seem like she was dreaming.

I didn't worry about her getting cold against my cool body because I purposely had the heat in the room quite high. With the fireplace, I was sure it was warm enough that I would be her personal air conditioner through the night.

I thought over the events of the evening, analyzing both my reactions and hers. I was very pleased with myself for insisting on waiting until we were married. This was something that had made our lovemaking even more exciting for me. Finally, after all these years of being a vampire, a monster, a demon, I had something pure in my life that I could be proud of. It was not just Bella's purity that I was proud of, but also my own.

When I thought about my sweet innocent Bella having her first orgasm in my hand, I smiled. Her body had looked so lovely, her face contorted in ecstasy. I realized what I had missed out on all these years denying myself any carnal pleasure, but was not sad at all knowing that I had saved myself all this time for Bella. Bella would be my one and only for eternity, this I knew for sure.

I thought back to what my brothers told me a few weeks ago, that sex was second only to drinking human blood. I thought on this for a while, remembering the taste of Bella's blood when I had sucked James' venom out of her arm. The guilt associated with that night made tonight much better. I had no guilt, only love in my cold dead heart. _This was better than any human blood I have tasted, even Bella's._

I wondered idly if this would be the same once Bella had been changed. I had witnessed enough sexual experiences of my siblings and my parents in my mind to know that vampire sex was mind-blowing. I would finally be able to let go and not worry that I would hurt her. She would be more…durable. I chuckled to myself.

Still, I wondered if the experience would be the same, if she would react the same way. I knew that she would have a heightened sense of touch and emotion, but the unknown still clawed away at me. I decided to put this out of my mind. I knew that if I explained it to Bella, she might decide she wanted to be changed right away instead of waiting for our honeymoon to be over. I did not want that because I also knew that her newborn years were going to be difficult and there probably would not be any sex until she had calmed down some.

I grieved at the thought of Bella changed and interested only in feeding for the first few years. I had to make this honeymoon last as long as possible and etch every sigh, touch, kiss, and sexual experience in my mind so that I would have it to hold on to while I taught Bella how to be a 'good' vampire. I finally pushed these thoughts away and concentrated on Bella. _My Bella._

The hours passed too quickly and I knew the moment she awakened although she did not immediately open her eyes.

**Okay...the moment of truth is upon us! Tell me what you think! I would love to hear from everyone that reads! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!**


	6. Chapter 6 The Honeymoon EPOV

**A/N More Lemons here! This chapter is entirely Edward. Chapter 7 will be the same chapter from Bella's perspective. Hope you like it! The plot thickens...**

**Thank you Lillie Cullen, my beta, for risking being grounded from your computer by your hubby to beta these chapters for me! Jasper told me he wants to spend New Year's Eve with you if he can get you away from your family long enough...**

Ascension

Chapter 6 – Honeymoon

**Edward**

I began kissing her hair and inhaling her scent as she began to gain awareness. She shifted slightly in my arms and I saw the trace of a wince on her face. I worried that she was hurt. I would never forgive myself if I had hurt my Bella while making love. I would turn her today rather than risk that ever happening again.

As soon as she opened her eyes, I knew immediately that she was fine. She could not hide pain in her expressive eyes. They were too easy for me to read. I watched her and smiled. When she smiled back, I felt my dead heart leap in my chest. When I said good morning to her and called her Mrs. Cullen, the beautiful blush that I would miss so much after she was turned rose in her cheeks.

"I am absolutely fantastic today Mr. Cullen. How about you?"

_Does she know what her words, her voice, her body does to me?_

"My day could not be any better, my angel."

I kissed and held her. My mind was soaring with happiness. _I did it. I really did it. All the fear I had inside me and still, I was able to pull it off, make love to my sweet fragile Bella, and not break her. _

She shivered slightly and I asked if she was cold. She answered me by tracing my lips with her finger and said, "No, I'm not cold, just thinking about last night." Her smile was no longer the smile of an innocent woman; it was the smile of a seductive vixen. My loins caught fire.

I had to know so I asked her if she had enjoyed herself and if she had felt as I did last night. My heart sunk when she pouted and said, "Edward, are you serious? Was I so inhibited that I did not show you how much fulfillment and enjoyment I received from you last night? I'm so sorry that you have to ask that, Edward. I must be a terrible lover." I did not mean, in a million years, to make her feel like that. I quickly covered up my stupidity by apologizing and telling her how wonderful it had been for me and asking her outright if she was hurt.

Her face quickly softened as she told me she was sore (_Damn it!)_ but assured me that she was not hurt. She blushed throughout her entire vocalization and then looked down at my chest.

I lifted her face, not wanting her to be embarrassed about talking about our lovemaking. I told her how happy I was that it was good for her and that I had not hurt her. I kissed her forehead and started to get up. I knew she was hungry and wanted to get her some breakfast. I reminded myself that I would have to be particularly conscious of her hunger because Bella hardly ever asked to be fed.

When I stood, Bella gasped. I knew that she had not seen me naked in the light last night and I suddenly thought, "_Edward, you idiot, you've scared her! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"_ I turned to face her and she pulled the covers over her head and giggled. "_Oh! She isn't scared," _I thought wickedly. I put my best confused look on my face as she peeked out from under the covers, though I was smiling in spite of myself. "What is funny, my love? Is there something wrong with me?" I looked down at myself and studied my body, noticing that my member was already at half-mast.

She suddenly jumped up to her knees and started pulling me back towards the bed. _I believe that my innocent Bella has turned into my naughty Bella now._ I humored her and fell back onto the bed with her. "You are gorgeous," she whispered while she was kissing my ear.

I smiled to myself and kissed her neck. My hand wandered to her beautiful breasts and I massaged them gently flicking her nipples lightly, very satisfied with her reactions.

"How did I ever get so lucky to have the full and unfettered attention of an angel like you, Edward? What did I do to deserve your love?" _What didn't you do, Bella? You are almost as much as an animal as me right now…_

"You are not the lucky one; I am the lucky one, love."

When she stretched her arms out above her head and purred, I almost came undone all over the bed. _God she is sensuous, and she is all mine. When did she become a goddess of temptation?_ I ran my hands up and down her burning flesh and watched her body writhe. The tempo of her breathing increased and I watched her chest rise and fall with each ragged breath. I saw her pulse quicken in her neck as my hands roamed freely over her body. "Are you ready for round two so soon, my love?" I winked at her as I said it.

I let my hands roam some more and gently ran my fingers along her ribs and down her abdomen, pausing to sensually trace her belly button with my finger, before letting my hand run down to her beautiful core. I could feel the heat and moisture pulsing out of her. I could not take my eyes off her. Her responsive body was just so beautiful.

Her eyes were closed but the moment she bit her lip and nodded, I was not giving her a chance to change her mind. The monster awakened and sat up stretching in his cage. I ignored him.

I was on top of her in an instant, kissing her mouth and exploring it with my tongue. Her arms were still stretched above her head and I instinctively reached out and pinned her wrists to the bed. My erection was pulsating against her thigh as though I really had a heartbeat to feed it. The monster casually unlocked his cage and started wandering around. I still ignored him.

When her legs parted, I immediately thrust into her, stopping when I was buried to the hilt. I wanted to feel her pulsing around me. I wanted to feel her muscles spasm and pull me inside. I kissed her neck and felt her core lengthen and widen to accommodate my member. The monster was now prancing around excitedly. I mentally told him to sit down and shut up. I already knew from last night that this was a battle I would win and I did not have time to mess with that right now.

A loud groan escaped my lips as I gently began rocking against her, letting my member tease her as I slowly pulled it almost out and then pushed back in. I could tell it wasn't going to take her very long to peak. I could almost feel her orgasm pressing inward in the air around us. I felt her body tighten beneath me. Her stomach muscles contracted involuntarily and I knew that she was on the verge. She sighed and moaned while her body thrust against mine. Our tempo increased as her need increased.

The monster, whom I had so carefully been ignoring, uttered a roar and started screaming at me. I felt my body trembling as he attacked me from within. I could not stop just now. I started pumping into her harder than I had intended to, but still, I could not stop. The monster was screaming, "Take her! Take her now, you fool! Rip her throat open! Drink her blood! You know you want it! Take it!"

I was barely aware of Bella throwing her legs around me and her orgasm crashing around her. I could feel every muscle in her body tighten as wave after wave of it surrounded her in ecstasy. The monster was still screaming and I had to shut him up. I buried my face in the pillow next to Bella's head and clenched my teeth together as hard as I could. I continued to hold her hands above her head, praying that I was not breaking her wrists. My other hand reached for anything it could find and shredded the sheet. I was shaking now, truly at war with the monster that lives within me. I was terrified that I could not stop thrusting myself into her. Her muscles clenched my erection tight.

Finally, I had the monster shoved against the side of his cage and I was strangling him in my mind when my orgasm ripped through me like a cruel joke. I cried her name and buried my manhood as deeply inside Bella as I could without breaking her in half. I released her arms and she immediately brought her hand down to my butt and pulled me into her. I gasped and arched upward. I moaned rather loudly as I released my liquid into her. I was kicking the monster into the cage and locking it shut as my orgasm subsided.

I collapsed and started sobbing. I could not look at Bella. I was afraid of what I might have done to her when I lost control. I was afraid that I did do something to her and just didn't know it yet.

"Bella, are you okay? I'm sorry…," I choked out through my sobs. I sobbed even harder as she stroked my hair but when she spoke, all of my fear seemed to disappear in the softness of her voice.

"Edward, baby, I am just fine. I am more than fine. That was incredible."

I finally steeled my nerves and rose up to look at her. I still feared what I might see. She nodded at me and said encouragingly, "Really Edward, I am okay. You did not hurt me at all. You need to stop worrying so much, baby. I'm just fine."

When I started to speak, I stuttered and winced at the thoughts of what might have happened. "Bella, I was scared, I… I lost control and… that could have been… a disaster."

_My Bella. Always selfless. Always thinking of everyone but herself. I almost killed her… again… and here she is comforting me. _

"But it wasn't a disaster, Edward. It was wonderful. I love you so much, Edward, I do. We fit so perfectly together. You have practiced control with me for so long that even though you lost control, somewhere in your mind, you knew that you could not hurt me and you didn't. You are perfect, amazing. Edward, look at me. Look at me, Edward! I. Love. You. I am NOT hurt."

Slowly, painfully, I withdrew from her warmth that was still spasming around my member. I sat up, pulled her to me, and held her in my lap. She knew I was crying. I could not hide anything from her even though I had no tears. I rocked her back and forth and let myself cry while I said, "I love you, Bella," over and over again.

When she said, "I love you, Edward. I always have, and I always will," I sobbed harder.

I had totally lost control in another way now. Emotions were flowing through me at an enormous pace. I could hardly think. The monster was flicking his tail and pacing back and forth in his cage saying, "How stupid are you, Edward? She would not even have felt it. She would have thought you were simply enjoying her, which you _would _have been." I shut out that part of my mind, refusing to listen to any more. I knew that Bella was somehow right. I had practiced my control with her for so long that somehow I was unable to hurt her. Even though I had been fighting with the monster in my head, the part of me that protected Bella had continued protecting her. I was grateful for this and finally began to calm down enough to look at her again.

She reached up to touch me and whispered, "We belong together," and I knew in that instant that she was right. We did. As hard as it was to be with her like this, it was ecstasy. Even the fight with the monster in my mind gave me a sense of power that I could love my Bella physically and not hurt her. I was mindful that I would still have to be careful, but this last episode taught me that part of me would never stop protecting her from the terrible part of me that wanted to kill her.

The light from the balcony doors hit my face and I saw Bella stop breathing. The love in her eyes was so pure and so deep. I reminded her to breathe. She took a deep breath and a funny little smile crossed her lips briefly. I knew she must have been smelling the scent of our sex that hung in the air. "It smells delicious doesn't it?" She blushed, of course.

I released her and crossed the room to close the doors. I watched her as she stretched before she crawled out of bed. Her back arched so deliciously that I knew I was ready to have her again if she would let me, but decided I should let her rest and eat first. I could have made love to her for the next two weeks without stopping if she would live through it, but she would die of either exhaustion or starvation and I decided to tuck that little adventure away for when she was unbreakable. We would certainly have to, at some point, explore the option of making love for two weeks non-stop. I wondered if this was some kind of a record. I would have to talk to Emmett about this. He would know. He and Rose probably held the record.

She asked me to join her in the shower and who was I to say no? I got in and washed her sensually from top to bottom. I caressed every part of her body. I washed her hair, her back, her bottom, and her beautiful breasts. I watched the water flow over her and steam come off her body. She closed her eyes and just stood there, letting me do whatever I wanted to. I was scrubbing her gently, letting my body rub against hers when her stomach growled. That was all it took to bring me back to reality. "Time to feed the human!"

She got out and I finished rinsing myself off. I did not think I could spend the day smelling our sex on my body without attacking her in the kitchen, the car, the front yard…

When I got out and wrapped the towel around my waist, I noticed she had found the fluffy pink bathrobe I had hung on the back of the door for her. I was starting to think that I liked her in pink almost as much as I liked her in that sapphire blue that Alice was always putting on her.

I shook the images I had of taking her on the bathroom floor out of my head and took her hand instead, asking her if she wanted to see the rest of her vacation home. She asked about the opposite wing of the house from our master suite and I told her that three other bedrooms lie in wait over there for the rest of the family should we ever decide to invite them here. _Not likely. I want to be selfish and keep this all to ourselves._

She looked completely amazed as she looked around the house. I reminded myself that although I had seen it, she had not. I let her take her time taking it all in as I led her to the large kitchen.

She sat down at the kitchen island and I prepared her breakfast for her. French toast, sausage, juice, and fruit. I hoped that she would enjoy it. I was new at cooking. We talked about nothing in particular while she ate. I enjoyed watching her. I could never get enough of just watching my gorgeous Bella be herself.

When she was done, I placed the dishes in the sink, knowing that the housekeeping staff would be here this afternoon to take care of them. I did not want to leave them for them, but I also did not want to take the time right now to clean them. I did not want to leave Bella's side. She finally asked the question I had been waiting for.

"Why on earth did you buy us a home on the French Riviera where the sun shines almost year round?"

I laughed. I knew this was coming eventually. "Because you love the sun, love, don't worry, I will keep to the shadows and wear a hat or carry an umbrella. I will do whatever it takes to get you out. Besides, this property and beach are quite private. No one is going to see us here. I've made sure of that." I thought about the large fence that surrounded the property and the 'No Trespassing' signs that were plentiful on it.

Bella looked happy and I followed her out of the kitchen to watch her explore. She was delighted when she opened the door into the pool room. I enjoyed watching her explore the house. I looked out through the pool room to the landscaped back yard and had a brief vision of Bella and me naked out there in the sun. The thought of this aroused me slightly and I fought back the urge to make this thought a reality right now.

"Do you like it?"

She wrapped her arms around me and buried her head in my chest. I had to fight my urge to be outside with her naked a little harder when she did this. She said, "I love it Edward, it is just too much to take in," and I was quite pleased to hear this.

She suddenly released me, grabbed my hand, and headed back up the stairs. I briefly thought back on the two weeks of constant love making and wondered what she had in mind. _Anything for Bella._

When we got back to the bedroom, she looked at me questioningly and I told her that her closet was the one on the left. She went to the closet and I supposed that she was going to get dressed so we could go exploring. I decided not to mention going outside naked for now, as I wasn't sure what she had in mind.

I sat down on one of the leather sofas to wait for her when my damn cell phone rang. I picked it up and looked at the screen becoming instantly angry when I saw that it was the _dog_ on the phone. I answered curtly, "Hello, Jacob. What do you want?" I tried to keep my voice low so that Bella could not hear me.

"I heard you took Bella to France. I want to know if she is all right. You haven't _hurt _her, have you?"

"No, Jacob. Bella is just fine. You are interrupting our honeymoon. If you were so concerned, maybe you should have come to our wedding. You _did_ get invited."

"I know but I couldn't bear to watch her marry you. All I want is to talk to her for a minute. I need to hear her voice and make sure she is okay. You didn't…" _Couldn't bear to watch her marry me… sounds like a personal problem to me._

"No, Jacob, I didn't _bite_ her, if that is what you are asking. You will get to see her again, if you should so desire. Can't you just take my word for it? I'm sure Alice would have already squealed if something had gone wrong." _Why the hell is he bothering me right now?_

"I believe you bloods…Edward, but I want to hear her voice. I have to know for myself. Besides, the _pack _is just as interested in Bella's _welfare _as I am." I could hear the sarcasm in his voice, knowing that he was referring to the treaty.

"Fine, _dog_. You can talk to her. Just don't bother us again until we get home."

"No problem, bloodsucker. I'll be here waiting."

I went to Bella's dressing room and handed her the phone. I think she knew I was irritated. I knew I was having a hard time hiding it. She tentatively said, "Hello?" then looked completely surprised and annoyed at the same time. I stalked back to the couch and brooded. I was pleased at the annoyed look she had when she discovered it was Jacob. She walked into the bedroom as she talked. I was sure this was so I didn't think she was hiding any part of the conversation, as if I couldn't hear her in the back of the closet with the door closed.

I listened to the inflections in her voice and could tell he was making her angry. _Good, _I thought smugly. _Maybe he will learn to leave her alone. _I brooded some more, imagining all the different ways I could tear that dog apart and bury the pieces at the four corners of the earth.

Bella crossed to the couch, sat down beside me, and handed me the phone. I gave it a flick and it landed across the table on the other sofa. She knew I was angry. She said nothing so I spoke first.

"Well? Is the _dog _satisfied that I have not torn you to shreds yet?"

Bella sat looking at her hands and wringing them together. I saw her force her hands to stop wringing and waited for her to speak.

"Yes, he is fine now."

I couldn't help myself, I was so annoyed at his interruption that I blurted out, "Will he be calling daily to check on you or should I call him daily to let him know that I have continued to let you live?" before I could stop myself. I was beyond annoyed now. I was downright pissed off, and I crossed my arms across my chest while saying this.

Bella turned to me looking sad. I knew that she did not want me to be angry. I just couldn't help it. What right did Jacob Black have calling on our honeymoon to see if Bella was okay, treaty aside? He should have been at the wedding. Bella knew he was not there and I know she was disappointed. I was going over several scenarios in my mind of what I was going to say to him next time I saw him when Bella interrupted my thoughts. It almost broke my heart when she said, "No, Edward, he will not call again, and you do not need to check in with him. He is not my keeper, Edward. I belong to you and I trust you to keep me safe. He is my friend and he was worried is all. I reassured him and he will be fine now. Please don't be angry, Edward, please. I don't want anything to ruin this beautiful time we are having," and started to cry.

She knew I could not take her tears and I was immediately sorry for my reaction. I took her face in my hands and told her I was sorry, that I had just been jealous. I kissed her gently, hoping that this would make her believe me, and I could tell by her face that she did. I told her to get dressed. We needed to get on with our day. I had decided that we were getting in the car and going somewhere, anywhere, I didn't care, but we were getting out of here and the phone was not coming with us.

As soon as she disappeared into her dressing room, I went to my closet and dressed. I waited for her outside her dressing room door. I thought the idea of his and hers closets with dressing rooms was really nice and made a mental note to do this in any other houses we decided to purchase through the years.

Bella emerged looking scrumptious, of course. She had chosen a pink blouse and white pants. I hesitated while my mind started peeling them back off her. I wanted her to see part of France besides the walls of our bedroom however, and said, "Let's go for a ride." I noticed when I looked at her face that she looked like she was undressing me with her eyes too and I smiled. I took her hand and led her down the stairs before I got any more bright ideas.

I had been thinking about where to take Bella but the idea didn't hit me until we got in the car. I wanted to show her some culture. Bella seemed to love when I shared my love for music and art with her so I was leaning towards Milan. It wasn't far. I decided that I would see if she had anything else in mind before I suggested this.

I headed for Nice and drove around town for a bit and then asked Bella, "Is there anything in particular that you wanted to see, love?" Bella nearly caused me to have my first accident with her response.

"You, naked."

I regained control of the car and laughed aloud. _My silly Bella. _I told her, "You are incorrigible, my lovely. There is time for that later. Let's go to Milan." In retrospect I should have gone along with her idea.

I sped along to Milan and was pleased that it was overcast when we arrived. I took Bella to eat first and enjoyed, once again, watching her eat. It started to rain while we were in the restaurant and although I knew that Bella did not care for the rain, it was perfect for me. I pulled the umbrella out of the trunk of the car and took her to the Museo d'Arte e Scienza.

While there, we studied the works of Leonardo da Vinci. I am a da Vinci fan and to my joy, Bella liked da Vinci as well. Having found out that Bella was a da Vinci fan, I took her to the Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie to see The Last Supper. Bella was like a kid in a candy shop squealing with delight over every piece of art and every building we visited. Last of all, I took her to the Cathedral of Milan. Its architecture is spectacular and I regaled Bella with all I knew about it. She enjoyed it so much that I thought that we would have to spend a few months in Europe seeing all of the beautiful cathedrals. She would really love St. Peter's in Rome, as well as all the others.

I knew that Bella had to be wearing out. We were almost back to the car when the sun was dropping below the horizon. I asked Bella if she was tired and she said her feet hurt. _Damn it, Edward, you've worn her out! You should have carried her!_

This thought gave me an idea so I gave her the option to let me carry her to a restaurant so she could eat, or we could get in the car and go home. Bella responded with, "Let's go home, Edward. I'd like to relax a bit before we go to bed." I heard the inflection in her voice when she said, "…go to bed," and thought, "_I have created a monster. Forget the one that I have caged in my mind, Bella is acting like a sex-starved maniac. I like it." _

I winked at her when I told her, "Oh, we don't have to go to bed for that, love."

I surprised her with the bread, cheese, and wine I had placed in the trunk of the car for her. She seemed to be pleased and dug in while I headed back to Chateau de Bella at top speed.

When we arrived, I took Bella out to the beach. Before our honeymoon, I had studied with Carlisle extensively about the effects of our venom on humans. Part of mine and Bella's agreement was to consummate our marriage, after all. I knew there was going to be an exchange of fluids, and that the main ingredient of the fluids I would be exchanging would be vampire venom. Carlisle and I had determined that there was no danger to Bella, as long as the venom did not enter her blood stream by a direct injection into a vein or artery. Even if she had a small abrasion, such as the rupture of her hymen, the venom would heal it rather than enter her blood stream.

This knowledge in hand, I was fairly confident about the next trick I wanted to try with her. I took her wine glass and drained it. I didn't swallow it, just swished it around in my mouth to cool it off a little, then I leaned in to kiss her. Bella looked hesitant about this at first, but I nodded to her to let her know that I knew it was okay.

When I kissed her, I let the wine run between her lips and into her mouth. Bella nearly collapsed in my arms. I kissed her very deeply after she swallowed the wine. I was extremely aroused. When I pushed my tongue into her mouth and touched her tongue, there was electricity between us that I could not explain. My body was overwhelmed with desire.

I was lost in the moment when Bella attempted to push her tongue into my mouth and I was immediately jolted back to reality, but I tried very hard not to be harsh with her. Obviously, she could not control her desire any more than I could control mine. I heard my husky voice say, "Naughty, Bella, don't forget that I do still have vampire teeth in there." This time Bella did collapse and I picked her up immediately to carry her to the house.

"What do you want to do tomorrow, love?"

My heart soared when she said she wanted to stay here with me.

"Whatever my Bella wants, my Bella shall have."

When we got to the house, I headed for the kitchen to find Bella some more food. She does not eat enough. I constantly have to remember to make her eat. Bella was, of course, not interested in food, and headed for the living room. "_What a silly pair we are_," I thought, shaking my head.

I heard Bella cooing in the living room about what she had found there and I felt infinitely happy that she liked the place. Perhaps someday Bella and I would live here for a long time.

When I took her meal to the living room, Bella was looking out the windows behind the piano at the beautifully landscaped backyard and the woods beyond it. I quickly lit a fire and waited for her. She looked delighted when she turned around. She quickly took the seat next to me and started eating. I turned on the television to see if there was any world news we were missing. I found some movie instead. I was spending more time watching Bella than I was watching the television anyway. She seemed to be lost in another world.

I heard my cell phone ringing upstairs and ran up the stairs at top speed to see who it was. _If that is Jacob again, I swear I am going to kill him_. When I looked at the screen, I saw that it was Alice and answered immediately. She was panicking.

"Edward! What were you thinking taking Bella into Italy today?"

"I just took her to Milan, Alice. What's the problem? We went to see some da Vinci. Is that a crime?"

"No, Edward, it is not a crime, but she is not changed yet and you were seen!"

"Seen? By who?"

I was confused. My mind had stayed alert all day to any signs of danger to Bella. I had not noticed anyone around that would cause any problems. It was too bad my mind reading did not work over the phone from thousands of miles away because I now had to wait for Alice to tell me.

"One of the Volturi guard saw you and Bella in Milan today, Edward. They know you are there. You have been tracked. They have just made the decision to call on you and Bella day after tomorrow! They have taken your purchase of the chateau as a sign that when you turn Bella, the two of you will join them. Their assumption is that you are planning to turn Bella while you are there and they are sending a contingency to oversee it! You have to get out of there Edward, NOW!"

My heart sunk and I was immediately angry with myself. _How could I be so stupid? Of course, we were seen. There are Volturi all over Europe, especially Italy._ I assumed that if there had been danger around today, I would have detected it with my gift, but of course, whoever saw us was either not close enough for me to read…or they had smelled Bella's scent from afar. It didn't matter, they knew, that was all that mattered.

"Okay, Alice. We are leaving right now. I have to get Bella ready. I don't want to tell her what is going on." I packed as I talked and Alice was silent for a moment.

"You have to hurry, Edward. Don't take a direct trip back here. They will suspect that you knew. You need to go somewhere else for a few days. And about telling Bella, you won't get far before she demands to know what is going on. It will be best for you to be honest with her. Her fear will be too great if you are not. Be sure to contact the housekeeping people and have them close up the house first thing in the morning. Tell them where you are going next so they won't have to lie if they are interrogated."

I listened to Alice's instructions while I made sure that I had everything Bella and I needed. I made sure the balcony doors were locked and closed the curtains. I stuffed the shredded sheet, which I had tucked in my closet, into my suitcase to dispose of later. There was no need for the Volturi to know what had gone on here. The bed was freshly made anyway with all clean linens so our "scent" would not be on it.

"Do you want to know where we are going, Alice?"

"No, I see where you are going. It is a good idea. It is far enough away to be, well, far enough away, and close enough to seem like it was planned. Just don't stay too long. Make sure that you see the sights while you are there. Keep it casual, Edward. Don't act like you are running."

"Okay, Alice, and you will keep me informed?"

"Yes, Edward, I will. Carlisle wants to talk to you but he is working and very busy right now. He will call later. Keep your phone _with _you Edward."

I closed the phone and dashed down the stairs with our suitcases. I left them by the door while I went to get Bella.

Bella, who is always extremely observant, knew that something was wrong the second I walked into the living room. I tried very hard not to look upset, but Bella knew. She made a bad joke when she said, "What's wrong, Edward? You look like somebody just walked over your grave," and my face contorted. If we did not get out of here, that was exactly what that call was going to mean. I tried to remain calm.

"Bella, we have to go." _Please don't argue with me._

"What do you mean we have to go? We just got here."

I looked at her, hoping that I looked calm and pleading rather than like I was panicking.

"Edward? Why do we have to go?" She stood up. This was progress. _Please, please, please just come on… we have to go._

"I don't want you upset, Bella, we just have to go. There's no time, we have to go now. Do you need to change before we travel?"

She looked at the beautiful outfit she was wearing and said, "Well, um, yes I suppose I should…"

I didn't give her time to change her mind or speak another word. I told her to come on and grabbed her hand. I tried to hurry her up the stairs as fast as I dared without her falling to her death below. I considered just picking her up and carrying her, but didn't want to upset her further. I thought sometimes when I did this, she got frustrated with herself that she couldn't move fast enough for me. I wondered if this was really the time for me to be concerned about her feelings. I saw her looking at the luggage by the door as we went by. _Please don't argue with me Bella. Please just do as I ask. _

Apparently, by saying that I would not get far without explaining to Bella, Alice meant I would only get to the bedroom, and I was annoyed. Bella stopped before she walked into her changing room and said, "Edward? You have to tell me what is wrong. Is someone sick, hurt, what is it?" She crossed her arms. _She is so gorgeous when she is angry. Of course she thinks that this is a human thing. She thinks one of her parents is ill or hurt. I can't let her think…_

"I'm not moving another step unless you tell me what is going on." _Look at her trying to look angry. She has so much passion in her…_

"Bella, it's bad. I wish you would just trust me that we have to get out of here NOW." _She needs to stop arguing with me and just get dressed before I have to take her and…_

"Okay, Edward. I will trust you on that. I am going to change my clothes, but when we get in the car, you had better tell me everything."

_Should I also tell her how sexy it is when she is trying to be tough?_

"Yes, of course, Bella, just hurry up please."

She turned to walk in the changing room (_she has such a beautiful body…) _and after she got inside, I heard her fall. I ran to the door. She was lying in the middle of the floor in her bra and panties with her pants off one leg and wrapped around the other. I stifled my laughter because I knew it would upset her more. I was reprimanding myself mentally for even thinking of laughing and for all the lewd thoughts that I kept having about her.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm just trying to _hurry_ and I tripped." _Angry again…._

I didn't move. I stood there and watched her dress. She chose blue jeans and a blue blouse. _Beautiful. _After she grabbed a sweater and her purse, she turned to me and I could see that something was wrong. She looked ill. I caught her just as her knees gave way. _Did she hit her head on the floor?_

"I'm sorry for the rush, Bella. I will explain, I promise. If you are ready, let's go."

**Don't forget to review because I LOVE reviews! Happy New Year everyone! I'm going to be spending mine with the Cullens. :) How are you going to spend yours?**


	7. Chapter 7 The Honeymoon BPOV

**A/N Okay, some of you may think you are having deja vu when I post this chapter. Yes, it is the same as Chapter 6. This time it is Bella telling the story. Sorry, I just had to hear it from both of them! Another big thank you goes to my beta Lillie Cullen who is a wonderful beta as well as an inspiration to me when she leaves lovely little comments in my story for me! **

Ascension

Chapter 6 – Honeymoon

**Bella**

When I awoke, I did not open my eyes. It felt as though last night had been a dream. I feared that I would open my eyes and find myself in my room at Charlie's house. I didn't want that, I wanted to live in this dream forever. I went over the events of the night in my mind. Each kiss, each touch, the satisfying feeling of finally having Edward inside of me, all of these things ran through my mind all at once.

Slowly, as I gained more awareness, I realized that Edward was still lying next to me and my head was pressed into his chest. His arms were around me, just as they had been when I fell asleep. He was kissing the top of my head and smelling my hair. With the awareness I was gaining, I also became aware of some sore muscles. It was not excruciating; it just felt like I had started a new exercise program and used muscles I had not worked before. That is when reality finally sunk in and I knew that last night was not a dream. Finally, I opened my eyes.

I looked up at Edward who was gazing down at me with his smoldering eyes. He smiled and I smiled back. We simply stared at each other for several minutes drinking in the moment. Edward was the first to speak. "Good morning, Mrs. Cullen. How are you today?"

I instantly felt the blush rise to my cheeks at the sound of my new name and answered, "I am absolutely fantastic today, Mr. Cullen. How about you?"

"My day could not be any better, my angel."

He leaned in to kiss me and held me tight. I felt the butterflies in my stomach start and a shudder went through my whole body.

"Are you cold, love?"

I reached up and traced his lips with my finger. "No, I'm not cold, just thinking about last night." I smiled up at him as I said it.

Edward chuckled and said, "I was glad that I do not sleep for the first time last night. I was able to relive every moment as I watched you sleep. There is one thing that I wondered and wanted to ask you though, love, if you don't mind."

"Ask me anything," I sighed.

"Was it, was I, what I mean to say is, well, did you, um, was it as enjoyable for you as it was for me, love?"

"Edward, are you serious? Was I so inhibited that I did not show you how much fulfillment and enjoyment I received from you last night? I'm so sorry that you have to ask that, Edward. I must be a terrible lover," I pouted.

"No, no, no, love, that's not, oh Bella, I'm sorry. I just didn't phrase it right. I never meant for you to feel bad. It's just that, well, last night ranked as the best night of my existence and I, well, I just hoped that it was the same for you. I guess what I really want to know is if you are hurt."

I looked into his eyes and he was truly hurt that I had taken his question wrong so I quickly changed my tune so as not to hurt him any further. "Oh, Edward, I'm sorry. I guess I just misunderstood. Last night was truly the most wonderful night of my life, Edward. I am a little sore in various places, like I worked out for the first time," I blushed at that, "but other than that I am fine. You did not hurt me at all. I'm quite sure that the soreness would be there regardless. I did probably use muscles that I have never used before." I looked at his chest as I said this last part, unable to look in his eyes because I knew that I was blushing deep red.

Edward's finger under my chin, as he so often did, brought my face back up to look at his. "I am very happy that you enjoyed yourself, Bella, and that nothing bad happened. You cannot imagine how relieved I am that this all worked out so well."

Having said that, Edward kissed my forehead and unwound from the bed sheets and me. When he stood up, I gasped. He turned quickly to look at me and I yanked the covers over my head and giggled. I slowly pulled the covers back down and peeked again. Edward was standing there at the side of the bed smiling a knowing smile, but looked confused. "What is funny, my love? Is there something wrong with me?" He looked down at his naked body.

I jumped up to my knees, grabbed him, and pulled as hard as I could to pull him back into bed. He gave in and let himself tumble onto the bed on top of me, being careful not to crush me. "You are gorgeous," I whispered in his ear while kissing it. "How did I ever get so lucky to have the full and unfettered attention of an angel like you, Edward? What did I do to deserve your love?"

Edward was busy kissing my neck and massaging my breasts but managed to say, "You are not the lucky one, I am the lucky one, love."

I stretched out and purred like a cat. Edward took this opportunity to run his hands down the sides of my body. He sat up next to me and stared at me with those glorious eyes. "Are you ready for round two so soon, my love?" he said and winked. He lightly ran his fingers across my abdomen, stopping to trace my belly button, and then slid his hand down to the pulsing warmth between my legs. He let it rest there and though my eyes were closed, I could feel his gaze boring into me. I bit my lip and nodded my head ever so slightly, knowing he would see.

He was on me in an instant, kissing me deeply. I could feel his erection straining against my thigh. He grabbed my wrists with one hand and pinned them above my head. He was so gentle, even more so than a human would have been, I thought to myself. My legs parted and Edward thrust into me, urgent, but tender. He stopped for a moment, kissing my neck, and I could feel my muscles pulsing around his hardness, accommodating his size. He groaned and gently began rocking back and forth. I was dizzy from the sensation of his lips all over my neck and his hardness pumping in and out of me. It wasn't long before I could feel my orgasm welling up deep in my loins. I moved with him sighing and moaning. I felt him trembling and his movements became more urgent. I wrapped my legs around his hips and bucked against him with the first waves of my orgasm washing over me. I was completely unaware of anything but the sensations in my body until I heard fabric ripping.

Edward stopped kissing me and I opened my eyes. His face was buried in a pillow. He continued to thrust into me and was shaking all over. My orgasm was slowly washing away and my muscles were clenching at his erection. Edward cried, "Bella!" and buried himself in me as deeply as he dared. He released my wrists and my hands flew to caress his back. I let one hand drift down to his buttocks and pulled him to me. He arched his back and when his face came up, I was shocked at what I saw in his eyes.

They were black as pitch, but sparkling. His mouth was open and his white teeth were gleaming in the light. A guttural moan escaped his lips as he filled me with his liquid. I considered his black eyes for just a moment, thinking that perhaps he had lost control. I decided not to dwell on it, as I knew that was the risk of us doing this.

When his orgasm subsided, he all but collapsed on top of me and started shaking. I held him in my arms, stroked his back, and intertwined my fingers in his hair. He buried his face in my shoulder. His voice hitched when he said, "Bella, are you okay? I'm sorry…" I could feel him trembling and realized he was crying.

I stroked his hair and slowed down my breathing. "Edward, baby, I am just fine. I am more than fine. That was incredible." I could feel the blush rise in my cheeks.

Edward rose up and looked at me then. His eyes were shining and were back to his normal honey gold color. He looked my face over cautiously so I nodded to encourage him and said, "Really Edward, I am okay. You did not hurt me at all. You need to stop worrying so much, baby. I'm just fine."

"Bella, I was scared, I… I lost control and… that could have been… a disaster," he said and winced.

"But it wasn't a disaster, Edward. It was wonderful. I love you so much, Edward, I do. We fit so perfectly together. You have practiced control with me for so long that even though you lost control, somewhere in your mind, you knew that you could not hurt me and you didn't. You are perfect, amazing. Edward, look at me. Look at me, Edward! I. Love. You. I am NOT hurt."

Edward slowly withdrew from me and sat up bringing me up to lie in his lap. He rocked me gently and sobbed, "I love you, Bella," repeatedly into my hair. I hugged him and kissed his chest.

"I love you, Edward. I always have, and I always will," I crooned.

It was several minutes before Edward finally calmed down enough to look at me again. His eyes were full of affection. He smiled and I knew that he was better now. I beheld his beauty as I smiled back at him. I reached up to touch his face and said, "We belong together," in a whisper. Edward slowly nodded.

The sun was flooding through the open balcony doors now and a sunbeam hit the side of his face, which started sparkling. It took my breath away and I heard him whisper softly, "Breathe, Bella." I took a deep breath and could smell the scent of our sex in the air. I wondered, since I could smell it, what the scent was doing to Edward. Almost as though he had finally broken through my mind barrier he said, "It smells delicious, doesn't it?" I blushed all over again.

Edward released me and got up to close the balcony doors. I stretched and crawled my way out of the bed. "I am going to take a shower, care to join me?" I asked coyly.

"As a matter of fact…" he said and opened the bathroom door.

We got in the shower and Edward scrubbed me gently all over, kissing all the clean places as he went. He even washed my hair and it felt so wonderful when he did. I just stood in the hot water with my eyes closed and let him worship my body. The growl that erupted from my stomach interrupted this interlude and Edward laughed aloud. "Time to feed the human!" he said. I giggled.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my head. There was a fluffy pink bathrobe hanging on the back of the door so I put it on. I brushed my teeth and combed my hair while Edward finished his shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist and secured it there. _God he is sexy_.

"Are you ready to see the rest of your vacation home," Edward asked as we exited the bedroom hand in hand. I nodded vigorously. The place was gorgeous. We walked out of the bedroom onto a marble landing and down the large marble staircase.

"What's in the other hallway," I asked, pointing at the other side of the staircase.

"Three other bedrooms, room enough for all the family if we should ever decide to invite them here," he said and snickered.

At the bottom of the stairs, we came to the entryway. It was huge with marble floors and an enormous crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. On one side was a big room that I could see was the living room. It had a fireplace in it, a large television, some lovely furniture, and I could just see the corner of a pool table towards the back. On the other side we looked directly into the dining area with a very large oak dining table. We walked towards the dining area but then turned and walked towards the back to a door that was underneath the upstairs landing. The door opened into a rather large kitchen area. I was quite impressed so far. This was much more than a vacation home as far as I was concerned; it was a mansion of epic proportions. The Cullen's house in Forks was a mansion, but this was much bigger and more beautiful. It was almost like a palace.

I sat down on a barstool at the island in the middle of the kitchen as Edward busied himself making French toast and sausage. His ability to cook never ceased to amaze me since he did not eat. I knew that he had taught himself to cook just for me and that thought made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

He placed a glass of juice and a plate of fruit in front of me. I nibbled on the fruit as I watched him work. I would never stop being in awe of my Edward, never. He talked about the house, where we were, and other general small talk as he cooked my breakfast. I ate the delicious breakfast slowly while we talked and laughed. When I was done, he cleared the dishes, depositing them in the sink. I only had one question for him.

"Edward, I am curious about one small detail," I said. He looked at me quizzically. "Why on earth did you buy us a home on the French Riviera where the sun shines almost year round?"

Edward laughed aloud. "Because you love the sun, love, don't worry, I will keep to the shadows and wear a hat or carry an umbrella. I will do whatever it takes to get you out. Besides, this property and beach are quite private. No one is going to see us here. I've made sure of that."

I smiled, pleased at his answer, and walked out of the kitchen. I noticed several sets of doors beneath the marble staircase and went to them. I opened one door and gasped. Before me was a gigantic pool, complete with a Jacuzzi and sauna, and the whole area was entirely enclosed in glass. Outside, the landscaping was breathtaking with beautiful trees, shrubs, and flowers. The back of the house was surrounded by thick greenery. I looked back at Edward who was smiling widely.

"Do you like it?"

I went to him sighing and wrapping my arms around him. I laid my head against his chest. "I love it, Edward. It is just too much to take in."

I decided then that I wanted to get dressed and explore some more so I released Edward, grabbed his hand, and headed back towards the staircase. Once we reached the bedroom, I looked at him questioningly.

"Yours is the closet on the left, love."

Edward sat down on the leather sofa in front of the fireplace while I explored a rather large closet with a dressing area. I heard his cell phone ring and heard him talking quietly. He then came and handed the phone to me looking annoyed. I looked at him questioningly and took the phone.

"Hello?" Jake's voice caught me completely off guard.

"Bella, I just want to know that you are….okay," Jake said on the other end, sounding distressed. Now I knew why Edward looked annoyed.

"Jake, I'm fine. I'm on my honeymoon, Jake, you shouldn't be calling me." I glanced at Edward who had stalked back to the sofa fuming.

"I know," sighed Jake. "I just got… worried. I felt bad about not coming to the wedding and seeing you one last time and then Alice told me that he took you to France and I got really worried. I'm sorry, Bella. It's just that, well, I was hoping that…" His voice trailed off and I heard his breath hitch.

I tried to sound calming even though anger was rising in me as I said, "Jake, everything is fine. I am still… me. It's not time yet." I glanced at Edward who was looking at me icily. "You will have a chance to see me, to see us both, again before... I have to go, Jake. Don't worry about me okay?" I sounded like I was pleading with him.

Jacob sighed and said, "Okay, Bella, if you are sure."

"I'm positive."

"Well, have a great honeymoon then, and Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Congratulations, really, I mean that."

"Thank you, Jacob. I will see you soon. Goodbye."

"Bye."

I closed Edward's phone and silently walked over to him. I sat down next to him, but stayed on the edge of the couch. I handed his phone to him and waited for him to say something. Edward tossed the phone across the table and onto the other couch.

"Well?" he said, still sounding annoyed. "Is the _dog _satisfied that I have not torn you to shreds yet?"

I looked down at my hands that were wringing in my lap. I mentally forced myself to stop them. "Yes, he is fine now," I said very quietly.

"Will he be calling daily to check on you, or should I call him daily to let him know that I have continued to let you live?" he asked sarcastically.

I turned to look at him. His arms were crossed across his chest and he looked very angry. "No, Edward, he will not call again, and you do not need to check in with him. He is not my keeper, Edward. I belong to you and I trust you to keep me safe. He is my friend and he was worried is all. I reassured him and he will be fine now. Please don't be angry, Edward, please. I don't want anything to ruin this beautiful time we are having." At the last part, tears began to roll down my face. I watched Edward closely. His features were beginning to soften.

He reached for me and held my face in his hands. He brought his face close to mine and said, "I'm sorry, Bella. It's just… jealousy I guess. That's all. I know he means well. I'm not angry, I promise." With that, he kissed me softly on the lips, melting all of my concern. He released me and said, "Now, go get dressed, love. We have a big day ahead."

Once I entered the closet and I knew Edward could not see me, I began shaking. _What was Jacob thinking? First, he ditches me on my wedding day, which I forgave because I knew how he felt, but that certainly does not give him the right to call and check up on me here. _I was angry and tried not to think about it as I dug through my suitcase, hanging up the clothes that Alice had packed.

I noticed that she had primarily packed blue, pink, white, and black and laughed softly to myself knowing that these were all Edward's favorite colors on me. I chose a pink blouse, white pants, and white sandals for the day. I found my jewelry bag and put my locket on.

When I emerged, Edward was already fully dressed. I looked at the door next to my closet door. "_His and hers"_ I thought and smiled. Edward was wearing a white shirt and black pants and looked rather dashing. "Let's go for a ride," he said.

Edward grabbed a black fedora as we walked out the door and I almost dragged him back inside. I could not stop thinking about how damn sexy he was. He grinned at me as he opened the door to the Aston Martin sitting in the front of the house. I had been too tired and too excited to get here the night before to even notice. I kissed him and giggled as I jumped in the passenger seat.

Edward jumped in and said, "Put your seatbelt on," as he tore out of the driveway. I didn't even care how fast he was driving. My eyes were on him.

We drove back to Nice and he asked me if there was anything I wanted to see. "You, naked," was all I could come up with. For the first time ever, I thought he would actually wreck the car. He laughed and shook his head.

"You are incorrigible, my lovely. There is time for that later. Let's go to Milan."

I agreed and we were off along the coast of France and into Italy before I knew it. With Edward's driving, it was only about a two-hour drive. When we arrived in Milan, it was overcast and I was actually pleased to see the clouds because I knew that Edward would not have to keep to the shadows.

He quickly found a restaurant for my lunch. The maitre d' had seen the car we drove up in and treated us as if we were royalty when we hit the door. Edward ordered for us in Italian, and then explained to me that he ordered a salad for me and an entrée for himself. I knew, of course, that I would be eating both. Edward held my hand across the table and gazed at me while we waited for the food. I could not imagine anything more perfect.

As we left the restaurant, it was raining. Edward went to the car, pulled an umbrella out of the trunk, and came back to me holding it over both of us. Was there anything he was not prepared for? _He is just so perfect, _I thought and smiled.

We visited the Museo d'Arte e Scienza in Milan and studied works of Leonardo da Vinci who is a favorite of mine. I discovered that he was a favorite of Edward's as well and was delighted. We also visited the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie where da Vinci's fresco, The Last Supper, could be found. Then, we went to Duomo di Milano (Cathedral of Milan), which is said to be second only to St. Peter's in Rome.

I was completely in awe of all the beautiful things we saw. Edward knew so much about all of the works of art, the architecture of the buildings, and the city, that I had my own personal tour guide. It was wonderful.

When twilight fell, Edward removed his hat and threw it in the car. "Are you tired, love?" he said.

"Actually, yes, I am tired. My feet hurt," I whined.

"Do you want to eat now or wait until we get home, love?"

I pointed at the car. "Let's go home, Edward. I'd like to relax a bit before we go to bed." I tried to emphasize the last three words so he would catch my meaning.

Edward, not being nearly as naïve as he lets on, grinned and said, "Oh, we don't have to go to bed for that, love," and winked. He opened the car door and, sweeping his arm in front of him, said, "My lady." I smiled and hopped in the car. He opened the trunk on his way to the other side of the car and I was pleasantly surprised when he got in.

He placed a basket with bread, cheese, and a small bottle of wine in my lap. "Dig in, love. I knew you would be hungry before we got home." He opened the bottle of wine for me and poured me a small glass before tearing off into the dark. I was enjoying European Edward immensely. I had never seen this side of him. Always the romantic, always prepared.

When we arrived back at Chateau de Bella, Edward leapt over the top of the car to open my door for me and I giggled. He deftly discarded the food basket and took my hand, leading me towards the beach.

The beach was pristine and the gentle waves were lapping at the pebbles. It was so beautiful. I knew that Edward had chosen this location both for its privacy and for the nearby woods where he would be able to hunt.

Edward put his arms around me and said, "I want to try something." I got chills when he said this because of other things that had happened when he told me that. He took the wine glass that was still in my hand and I watched him as he drained the wine but did not swallow. He swished it around in his mouth, and leaned in to kiss me. I hesitated but he nodded to let me know it would be all right so I leaned into his kiss. As he kissed me, he let the wine run slowly into my mouth. It was cool, as though the bottle had just been opened at the perfect temperature. It tasted so good and I swallowed every drop.

He began kissing me even harder, again letting his tongue part my lips and explore my mouth. I touched my tongue to his and felt electricity flow through my body to my toes. I lost myself for a moment and attempted to push my tongue into his parted lips. He stopped and without removing his lips from mine said, "Naughty, Bella, don't forget that I do still have vampire teeth in there." The way he said it made me melt. When my knees gave out, he whisked me up in his arms and carried me to the house.

"What do you want to do tomorrow, love?"

"Stay here, with you."

"Whatever my Bella wants, my Bella shall have," he said as he entered the door.

He put me down in the entryway, kissing my nose. I walked into the living room while Edward went to the kitchen. I laughed to myself about the vampire going to the kitchen and the human going to the living room.

This room was very large as well. It contained a large fireplace, beautiful furniture, a huge flat screen, and in the back of the house, of course, a white grand piano. The area the piano was in was surrounded by windows. I could see directly into the pool room on one side, and could see more of the grounds all the way around. Edward had outdone himself with this house.

When I turned around, Edward had a lovely dinner waiting for me on the coffee table and a roaring fire in the fireplace. _How does he do that?_ I joined him on the sofa and he turned on the television.

Some movie was on and I stared at the television while I ate, not really absorbing what I was watching. I was mulling over the fact that we were going to have to find new sheets for the bed when Edward jumped up and ran out of the room. It was unlike him to charge out of the room like that, but I guessed he probably had a good reason and finished my dinner.

When Edward came back, I glanced over at him and immediately knew that something was wrong. I watched him carefully as he approached me. He looked extremely distressed and I reached for his hand.

"Edward? What's wrong, Edward? You look like somebody just walked over your grave." I immediately regretted my choice of words. It was a feeble attempt at humor to lighten the mood, but it didn't help.

"Bella, we have to go."

"What do you mean we have to go? We just got here."

Edward looked incensed. I knew that he did not want to have to explain this to me but I wasn't letting it drop. "Edward? Why do we have to go?" I stood up.

"I don't want to upset you, Bella, we just have to go. There's no time, we have to go now. Do you need to change before we travel?"

I looked down at my pink shirt and white pants. "Well, um, yes I suppose I should…"

"Then come on."

He grabbed my hand and hurried me up the stairs. I wondered why he didn't just carry me as I was stumbling over the stairs as fast as he was trying to make me go. When we walked past the entryway, I noticed that most of our luggage was already there. When we got to the bedroom, Edward stood by the door and pointed at the closet. I had enough. I was finding out what was going on before I took another step.

"Edward? You have to tell me what is wrong. Is someone sick, hurt, what is it?" I stood firm and crossed my arms. "I'm not moving another step unless you tell me what is going on," I said crossly.

Edward stood there looking irritated. He was very nervous and upset about something. I wondered if I was better off just changing my clothes and leaving with him, but I had to know what was wrong. Finally, he spoke.

"Bella, it's bad. I wish you would just trust me that we have to get out of here NOW."

"Okay, Edward. I will trust you on that. I am going to change my clothes, but when we get in the car, you had better tell me everything."

Edward nodded slightly, still looking irritated, and said, "Yes, of course, Bella, just hurry up please."

I rushed into the changing room and tore off my clothes as fast as I could. I tripped on my pants leg and fell. The doorway immediately darkened. "I'm fine, Edward. I just tripped."

"Are you hurt?" he said with concern.

"No, I'm just trying to _hurry_ and I tripped."

He didn't move.

I got up and finished removing my pants. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a blue blouse. I grabbed a sweater and my purse then turned to Edward. I was breathless. I felt like I was going to pass out. Edward caught my arm and looked down at me lovingly.

"I'm sorry for the rush, Bella, I will explain, I promise. If you are ready, let's go."

**I LOVE that so many have added this story to their favorites, but I would love MORE if my inbox were flooded with reviews! Please tell me what you think so far!**


	8. Chapter 8 Flight

**If you already read Chapter 8, I apologize for waiting so long to edit it! I did some revisions for that other Twilight FF website and liked that version better, so I decided to go ahead and post here. This is only from Edward's POV. **

Ascension

Chapter 8 – Flight

**Edward**

I picked Bella up and rushed her to the car, depositing her in the front seat. I sprinted inside to get the luggage and remembered the fire, television, and partially eaten plate of food in the living room. I ran at vampire speed to take care of all these things and then dashed out with the luggage and threw it in the trunk. I paused to call the housekeepers before I got in the car. Speaking French, I asked them to close up the house in the morning. I also told them where we planned to go and thanked them for their lovely and discreet service before hanging up.

Just before I stepped into the car, it all came crashing down on me. I had put my Bella in danger again. The guilt washed over me like Niagara Falls. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I could hardly move. _What have I done? _This was the first time since I returned to Bella that I regretted not succeeding in my suicide attempt with the Volturi.

I knew that Bella would be imagining all sorts of things and was probably angry by now. She had every right to be angry. I knew I had to tell her. She was sitting there patiently waiting for my explanation and she deserved to get it. I finally got into the car and sat there, stunned with guilt and anger. I could see that Bella was seething. I had to remain calm, for Bella.

"Bella, I am so sorry. I have put you in danger again," was all I could get out at first. Bella sighed, which added to my grief. I started the car and headed for the gate, stopping to close and lock it before I continued. When I got back in the car, I added, "Bella, I want you to know that this is entirely my fault and if you want to hate me for it, I will accept that consequence." _She should hate me for this, but she won't. Damn it!_

I drove as fast as I dared. Bella did not say anything for awhile, and when she spoke, I thought she was going to berate me for the rate of speed that I was driving, but she didn't. Instead, she lectured me about marriage. Bella, who didn't believe in marriage and didn't want to get married, was lecturing _me_ about marriage. "Edward, you know better than to think that I am going to hate you for anything that you do. Please tell me what is happening and where we are going. I would like to think that as your wife, you would be able to tell me anything. It's time you stop trying to protect me from everything, Edward. We are bonded together now. Every challenge that we face, we must face together. Marriage was what you wanted and marriage is what you got. How can we be a married couple if you are not going to treat me as an equal?"

Bella was shaking by the time she finished. I could hear that she was trying to remain calm, but her pain and anger slipped through. Her words cut me to the quick because I knew that she was absolutely right. How many times had Carlisle had this conversation with me over the past few weeks?

"_Edward, Bella is marrying you. You do understand that you are going to have to stop trying to protect her from everything under the sun and let her help you make decisions. You can't control every move she makes and continue to use the excuse, "It's what is best for Bella." She has the right to help you make decisions, particularly when your decisions affect her, or you, or both of you. It is give and take, Edward, not control and be controlled."_

"You're right, Bella. I wanted you to marry me, to be my wife, and then I go and do something stupid like this and put you in danger. I do not deserve to live." I spoke from my heart, hoping she would understand how terrible I felt. My thoughts were swimming and I was consumed with them. I noticed that Bella had crossed her arms and turned towards me. When she spoke, her voice was the harshest I had ever heard. I had seen and heard her angry, but never like this. It fed my misery even more.

"Edward Masen Cullen! Don't you _ever _say anything like that to me again! You need to tell me what is going on and you need to tell me right now or I am calling Alice to make arrangements for me to go home at once!"

I considered her words for a brief moment. She was extremely angry, but she was not hurling insults at me. _At least she fights fair. _I probably should not have voiced my regret to be alive. That really sent her off. I toyed with her statement that she would go home immediately if I didn't tell her what was going on. If she went home, I could go to the Volturi and tell them we had a fight. I could tell them she left me and would not come back. I wondered desperately if this would keep her safe, but I knew that it would not, they would just hunt her down and turn her themselves, or worse.

I took a deep breath and told her everything. I could hear her heart rate slowing and smell that the adrenaline in her blood stream was subsiding as I spoke. _She's not afraid?_

"Someone from the Volturi detected our presence in Italy yesterday, Bella. They were planning to call on us day after tomorrow at the chateau. They took my purchase of it as a sign that we would be joining them as soon as…"

"As soon as you changed me, I suppose?" she interrupted.

"Yes, as soon as I changed you. They also assumed that our presence could only mean that I was planning to change you while at the chateau and they wanted to send a delegation to oversee your change." I felt sick when I told her this. I knew that my emotions had to be showing on my face. I probably looked as sick as I felt. Bella confirmed my suspicions.

"Edward, do you need to stop?"

"No, we don't have time. We have to get out of here."

"Where are we going? Back to Forks? They will come there looking for us and…"

I immediately thought, "_If only it were that simple. Go home, be with our family. Let them help me protect you. Yes, I wish that we were able to go there."_

"Yes, Bella, I'm well aware of that. We are going to Paris for a couple of days, and then maybe London. We are going to pretend that this was all a part of our honeymoon plans. I have told the housekeeping staff of the chateau where we are going in case they are asked. We just aren't going to stay in any one place very long. We will go to Paris and take in the major tourist sites, then perhaps on to London where again, we will take in the major tourist spots, and then to New York for a couple of days if we need to stay on the road. We will go back to Forks as soon as it is safe for us to do so. Alice is watching the Volturi closely. If they suspect that we ran because we knew what they were up to, she will let us know. If they think we ran, we are already in trouble. If they think that we are just going on with our honeymoon, we might just make it home."

I could tell that Bella was surprised that this was my plan. She looked at me as if I had lost my mind. She did not want to let the Volturi catch up with us.

"I'm not that great of an actress, Edward. If someone confronts us, I'm going to be terrified."

I rolled this around in my mind for a few moments, and realized that this was the best part of the plan. Bella _would _be terrified if the Volturi confronted us. That might just save us, so I told her, "That is probably a good thing, Bella. You need to look terrified if one of them confronts us because if they do, they will let us know that they had planned to oversee your change. You will vehemently deny this option. You will cling to me and tell me no. You will insist that my family and _only_ my family will be overseeing your change. I will simply explain that we are making a quick honeymoon trip for you to see some of the world before your change because after that, we will have to keep you at home for a while. I'll tell them it's your wedding gift from me, which is not a lie."

As soon as I laid my plan out for Bella, my cell buzzed. It was Alice, of course.

"Yes Alice?"

"I saw your plan, Edward, and it's brilliant. You don't intend to try to hide from them, right?"

"Yes."

"And you are going to let Bella tell them that she does not want them to oversee her change?

"Yes."

"This is perfect, Edward. This is the best solution so far. None of the other solutions I have seen have ended so well, but this one will end wonderfully."

"You think so?"

"Yes, I do, and I don't think you should prepare Bella much for them to confront you. That way, when they do, all of her fear and anger will be very genuine. I've seen them meeting up with you in either Paris or London. After they catch up with you, you need to come home right away though."

"Oh. Okay, we can do that."

"I really don't see any other way working, Edward. I know you hoped for more time, but this is the best way."

"So you are sure this is best?"

"You don't have any other solutions in mind. It only makes sense that this will work. They will have to respect Bella's request to not have extra people around when she changes."

"I hope they do."

"They will, Edward. It was in my vision."

"Okay, Alice. I trust you."

"Do you still want Carlisle to call you?"

"Yes, please have him call."

"Drive carefully, Edward. There are some deer crossing the road up ahead."

"Okay. Thank you."

"Wow, Edward that was really informative. Would you like to tell me what that was all about?" I guessed that Bella was not pleased with hearing only my side of the conversation, so I said, "Can you do what I told you to do before Alice called?"

I listened carefully to her response, all the while scanning the road ahead for deer. "Yes, Edward, I'm fine with it. I don't want anyone else to oversee my change so that part will not be a problem. The rest seems to be up to you and I know that you can do it. Now, Edward, please apologize to me for saying that you do not deserve to live. Saying that to me is like saying that I don't deserve to have you, and I question that enough already without you saying things like that."

I immediately felt terrible and when she reached across and touched my hand, it was just what I needed. Bella always seemed to know how to bring me back to my senses. I knew that I had not been fair with her and I had not meant to hurt her. I was angry with myself for having done something so irresponsible.

"I'm sorry I said that, Bella. I was very upset and having a hard time expressing this problem to you. I will try to do better in treating you as my equal and not trying to keep things from you in the interest of protecting you. I will really try to remember that I need to involve you in my decisions and not exclude you anymore. I'm... new… at needing to discuss decisions that I have to make with someone else. I know that you are a strong woman and you can handle it. I hope… you can forgive me, Bella. I love you." I wanted to stop the car and hold her so badly. I detected the deer up ahead and slowed down while they crossed the road.

Bella squeezed my hand and said, "Edward, I love you. I love you so much it hurts. All I want is just to be with you. If changing me now would make things easier, then why don't we just go back to Forks and get it over with. I'm okay with that, Edward, I really am. Maybe that is a better solution."

Bella's response to my apology was enlightening. She was so giving of herself and I had never met anyone that was so willing to sacrifice herself for the people she loved. Before I had much time to dwell on it, or to respond to her, Alice called again.

"Alice?"

"Edward, what are you doing? Coming to Forks and changing Bella right now is not going to help anything! They will just follow you here!" Alice was frantic.

"No, no, no, we are just talking."

"It wasn't your idea was it, it was Bella's?"

"Yes, it was Bella's idea, but we were just talking, Alice."

"You just can't do that, Edward. It's not good. It…you have to talk her out of it, right now! You don't think that is a good idea, do you?"

"No, I think we should stick with the plan."

"Good, stay with that thought, and don't either one of you come up with any other bright ideas! It is hard to keep up with my visions right now because they are changing so fast. Can I talk to Bella?"

"Yes, here she is." I handed the phone to Bella and listened in on their conversation.

"Bella, this is Alice, but you already knew that." She was still talking very fast.

"Alice, slow down a little, I'm having trouble…"

"I'm sorry, Bella, it's just, what you just told Edward, it really messed things up. My visions got really bad. You need to stick to Edward's plan. It really has the best outcome, Bella, really it does."

"Okay, Alice, I'm sorry. I will stick with Edward's plan."

"Oh, that's wonderful, Bella, everything has gone back to what it was before. Thank goodness. What a scare. I hate not being there. I don't think the Volturi would think that I was just along to sight-see if I were with you though. You take care, and stick close to Edward, Bella. He will protect you. I love you."

"I love you too, Alice."

Whatever vision Bella's idea had made Alice see, had upset her tremendously. I knew I needed to try to get Bella to rest so she would not make decisions that would inhibit Alice's ability to concentrate on the Volturi and their decisions. Alice was exhausting herself trying to watch out for us. Once Bella was through with the phone, she handed it back to me. I reached, again, for Bella's hand. I attempted to be very gentle and not let her feel the fear through my touch.

"I know you are probably not tired right now, love, but why don't you lean back and try to get some rest. We have about 1000 km to drive tonight."

I was satisfied that she did not argue with me. She just turned on the stereo, leaned her head back on the seat, and closed her eyes. I listened to Clair de Lune and thought how appropriate that selection was right now. It took me back to times that were both more simple, and more difficult.

As the road passed by us, I thought ahead to Paris. I hoped that Bella would be able to relax and enjoy seeing Paris, under the circumstances. I would be on full alert and make sure there were no more surprises. I knew the trip would be short and exhausting for her, but I wanted to show her as much as I could in the short time we had. There was not going to be another chance for a long time.

I let my mind wander back to Chateau de Bella. I wondered why Alice had not seen this complication when I made the decision to buy it and take Bella there for our honeymoon. I mulled this over for a while until I realized that the reason Alice had not seen this coming was because I had not intended to take Bella into Italy. That was my big mistake, taking Bella to Italy. Once we were detected there, the rest of our accommodations must have come into play for the Volturi. I still could not fathom my irresponsibility in making that decision. One snap decision on my part was all it had taken to put Bella's life in jeopardy yet again, just like when I had decided to take her to our family baseball game. I had not thought about the implications or danger if something unforeseen were to happen.

As I thought about it some more, I realized that they might have already known about my purchase of the chateau and may have been watching us all along. This thought unnerved me more than any other because if that were true, they might already know that we ran. I tried to put this thought out of my mind because surely, if that were true, Alice would have seen that before.

I decided that if I continued to dwell on these things, I might drive myself insane. I decided, instead, to put my energies into remembering where Alice's cottage outside of Paris was. Alice loved shopping there so much that she kept a cottage close by. I had been there a couple of times, and knew that I would have no trouble finding it, but it took my mind off all the "what-ifs" that were plaguing me.

While I was thinking about Alice's cottage, I received a text message. I looked at my phone absent-mindedly and it was Alice. She, of course, had seen my decision to go to the cottage, and sent me directions to it and told me where she had hidden the key.

Alice is the best sister a vampire could hope for. She was always getting me out of messes. I could never imagine that Rosalie and I would ever be as close as Alice and I are. Alice and I share something that Rose and I could never share. We are both different from most other vampires. We both have powers that others call our 'gifts', but our powers are both a gift, and a curse. Rose is beautiful, yes, but Alice and I had inner demons that taunted us far more than beauty ever could. I smirked at this thought.

**Thank you so much to all who have reviewed! Reviews are truly intoxicating to me! I love them! Thank you also to all who have added this story to their favorites because I know that means you are reading and enjoying, but I would LOVE to hear from you! Next chapter, up now, will be Alice's Place. We are finally getting back down to business!**


	9. Chapter 9 Alice's Place

**Welcome to Alice's Place! It is cozy and fun, and seemed like a good place for lemons...so be warned! Edward felt that he should go ahead and write the next few chapters, and what he offered me in return was an offer I couldn't refuse! Don't worry, Bella will be back later on. She is just so in awe of her husband during this part of the story, that she couldn't find the words!**

**Thank you Lillie Cullen, Goddess of Betas and Friends! **

Ascension

Chapter 9 – Alice's Place

**Edward**

As we neared the city, Carlisle finally called. I was relieved to hear my father's calm voice. I had discovered, through years of trial and error, that Carlisle could always calm me in the face of adversity. I discussed the situation with Carlisle. He already knew what Alice had seen and the different scenarios. He agreed that what we were doing was best. I kept my voice at vampire frequency and speed so Bella would not hear what we were talking about, in case she was listening.

"Carlisle, I know that I am going to have to change Bella soon. I was hoping that while on our honeymoon I could entice her to wait, but I see that is not going to be possible because of the Volturi. I need to know what I should do to prepare her for it. I have… avoided… talking to her about it very much, but now I see that I can't avoid it any longer."

"I know you are nervous about this Edward, but you know it is inevitable. Even if the Volturi were not involved, it would have to happen. It is what Bella wants, and you have to respect that, regardless of your feelings about it. You cannot continue to ignore her wishes because it is not what you want. You have to find a way to make peace with it, Edward. I know it is different changing her because it goes against what I have done in the past, but I have had to come to terms with Bella's decision about this, and the rest of the family has had to as well. It is time that you do."

"I understand, Carlisle, and I realize that procrastinating like this is selfish of me."

"Well, I'm pleased that are starting to understand. Remember what I have told you, Edward. Marriage is all about give and take and compromise. Sometimes you have to put your own feelings aside for the needs of your mate."

It felt like Carlisle was lecturing me, though I knew that he was not. His only concern was for Bella and me. "I know, Carlisle, I am finally beginning to figure this all out."

"I'm happy to hear that, Edward. I really am. I think that where Bella's transformation is concerned, you need to just be honest with her and tell her what to expect. Tell her how long it is going to take, and tell her it will be painful. You will also need to tell her that you are going to be with her and to try to remember that when she feels alone. Perhaps she will be able to hold on to the knowledge that you are there and will not leave her. I definitely think you need to discuss with her what to expect when she wakes up afterwards."

Carlisle's advice seemed appropriate, so I decided to ask him about another issue that was bothering me regarding Bella's transformation. "What about the Quileute, Carlisle? What are we going to do about the treaty? I think we are going to need to meet with them and discuss it. I wonder if they will really hold us to it in Bella's case?"

"I don't know, son. You are right, we need to meet with Sam and maybe even the tribal elders to plead our case. Regardless of what they decide, we are going to have to move the family before we do it though. If they decide to let the treaty stand as it is, but allow us to change Bella, we cannot risk her breaking the treaty as a newborn."

"No, we can't. Beside the fact that it would break the treaty, Bella would never forgive me if I allowed her to kill a human. I promised her I would prevent that."

"What if that is a promise you can't keep, Edward?"

"I told her I would take her to Antarctica if that was what it took. If I am going to be forced to change her, I do not want her to do the one thing that she absolutely does not want to do, and that is to kill a human. I will just have to make sure that she doesn't, no matter what the consequence to me." The consequence I thought of immediately was the impact that two vampires living in Antarctica would make on the penguin population, and it was no secret to anyone that penguins were definitely not my favorite meal. Apparently, Carlisle remembered this because he chuckled at me.

"Carlisle, if we are going to have to move the family anyway, I would really like for everyone to be with us when Bella transforms. I think that Bella and I will both need everyone's support, and all of us possess skills that will be beneficial to Bella during and after her change. Would you mind speaking with Jasper about what he can do to help her during the process in addition to the medications you will be giving her? He may be able to tell us when we need more medication and whether it is working."

"I will speak with him, Edward. I will speak with everyone. We have already discussed this, but I will speak with them on your behalf this time, rather than on my own behalf."

I was a little startled by this statement, but knew that I should not be. I was sure that there were many discussions going on at home while I was gone for the simple fact that I wasn't there to interfere in their minds. I was sure that sometimes it was nice for them to have privacy from me and my 'gift.'

"Thank you, Carlisle."

"You are more than welcome, son. I would hope that you would understand by now that your mother and I would do anything for any of you."

"I realize that. Thank you."

"Edward, make sure you don't hold back when you talk to Bella about what to expect when she awakens. Sometimes that is the most frightening part, as you know. Particularly if you wake up with some kind of talent. We all know that Bella is special. If she brings her human gifts with her into our world, we don't know what that will mean. She may have other things to adjust to besides waking up a thirsty and angry newborn."

I mentally winced when Carlisle mentioned Bella waking up thirsty and angry. I was already grieving about the way Bella would awaken, but hearing my father say it aloud made it real. I knew that I had to make the most of our short honeymoon because there would be no time to make up for it later. Changing the subject for my benefit, I asked, "What do you think we ought to do about Charlie?"

"I'm still pondering that, Edward. I don't know if it would be best for Bella's family if we fabricate her death, an extended illness, or if we just play the 'gone to college' card. I'm afraid he is going to be suspicious about whatever we decide. He is a police officer. It is his nature to be suspicious. I will think on this some more and get back to you. I'm sure that we need to involve Bella in whatever decision is made, but we need to give her options to choose from. They are, after all, her family, and what we decide to tell them should be her choice."

I knew that Carlisle was right about this, though I was not sure that Bella would be able to make a good decision where her family was concerned. I tried to put that out of my mind because it went against everything that Carlisle was trying to teach me about marriage. I noted that Bella stirred in the seat next to me and her breathing and heart rate changed to her usual rates of wakefulness. I immediately changed the subject again, and spoke at human speed. I didn't want Bella asking a lot of questions about what Carlisle and I were discussing. I wanted a day or two to mull it over before I broached the subject with her. Mostly, I wanted to switch back to procrastination mode and not think about these subjects any more for a few hours.

We neared Alice's cottage, so I decided to turn the conversation to something in which Bella would be interested. "What sights do you think are most important for Bella to see while we are in Paris, Carlisle?" He made a few suggestions that I took into consideration. I had been in Paris before on several occasions, so I knew that I would be able to entertain Bella. I was just so consumed with worry that I was having difficulty coming up with an itinerary on my own.

I ended the conversation with Carlisle as I turned down the driveway that led to the cottage. I patted Bella's hand and said, "Did you sleep well, love?"

She grabbed my hand and kissed my fingers while she nodded her head. It drove me wild with desire. I immediately had visions of what I wanted to do when we got inside. I tried to remind myself that she was tired and needed to sleep.

"Where are we?" Bella asked as we approached the cottage.

"Welcome to Alice's place," I told her. She looked at me questioningly, so I added, "Alice likes to shop in Paris. She keeps a place here for just such an occasion," and flashed my best crooked smile at her.

I shut off the car and turned to look directly at her. I wanted to assess her condition and make sure she was not hungry before I put her to bed. I presumed she would not ask for food.

"Are you hungry, love?"

"No, I'm not particularly hungry, but I am thirsty," she said with a slight smile. Her statement reminded me of the burn in my throat that had been building all night. I would have to hunt soon, though it was odd to me that I was thirsty so soon after I had last fed. I decided that it must be all the stress of the events of the past few days.

"That makes two of us, love," I said with a smile. I kissed her nose quickly and said, "Wait here while I open the house, angel. I will be back in an instant."

"Okay."

I got out of the car and dashed around the side of the house to open the back door. No human would ever be able to find the key that Alice had hidden under a large boulder in the back yard. I rolled it away easily and rushed into the small cottage. I turned on all the lights, for Bella's benefit, while I quickly checked all the rooms. Everything seemed to be in order, so I went back out to collect Bella.

When Bella got out of the car, she stretched. It sent a wave of her scent crashing over me, and I could not resist putting my arms around her. I kissed her ear and nibbled at it with my lips. When she laid her head against my shoulder, the visions of what I wanted to do began swimming again. Trying to be a gentleman, I picked her up and carried her to the house.

"Edward, this is not our house. Why are you carrying me across the threshold again?"

"Because I want to, is that a problem?" I said truthfully.

"I am capable of walking, you know," she said, giggling.

I silently laughed at this, knowing that she probably would have tripped over every pebble between the car and the front door of the cottage as tired as she was. I kept this thought entirely to myself. Bella did not like her clumsiness pointed out to her.

Rather than answering her, I pressed my hard lips to her soft ones in an attempt to apologize further for my earlier behavior. "I know you can walk, love, I just feel badly about how I acted earlier and thought I could make it up to you."

Apparently she was going to let me because she immediately intertwined her fingers in my hair, and kissed me passionately. Had I been human, her kiss would have made my knees weak. I sat down on the divan with her and held her in my lap. My imagination was getting carried away again and as my lips moved down her jaw-line to her neck, I slipped my hand up her shirt.

The monster that was so firmly caged in my mind was getting easier and easier to maintain control of when I was with Bella like this. I felt very pleased that things were going well so far and that I had been able to persevere in keeping the monster under some semblance of restraint. I almost had a false sense of well-being, but I knew that I would have to continue to concentrate on keeping that part of me in check. The monster that was in me wanted nothing more than to kill her and drink every drop of her precious blood even though I had worked so hard at desensitizing myself.

After several minutes of kissing and caressing Bella, I determined that I had to stop if Bella was going to get any rest. "Are you ready for bed, Mrs. Cullen?" She nodded her approval so I carried her to the bed and put her on it. I noted that it was rather chilly in the cottage, so I lit the wood-burning stove in the corner of the bedroom before I went to get her a glass of water. She sat up and downed the entire glass then placed it on the bedside table. I covered her up, without giving her a chance to remove her clothes. I decided she would stay warmer if she remained dressed. I crawled onto the bed next to her and wrapped my arms around her. I was sure she would be asleep in no time, but instead, she turned to me, snuggled up close, and placed her hands under my shirt.

Her warm hands felt like fire against my cool skin. Once again my imagination took off running and I was having difficulty reeling it back in. I couldn't handle that any more than I could handle the monster in his cage who was yawning and coming to life. I parted Bella's lips and explored her mouth with my tongue. She must have been lost in her enjoyment because she tried to slip her tongue into my mouth again. I stopped her as gently as possible, not wanting to push her away. I was pleased that she enjoyed herself so much with me that she occasionally forgot what I really was. I, however, could not be so irresponsible as to forget. I watched for her reaction to my stopping her and she opened her eyes.

Bella stared into my eyes with those expressive brown orbs of hers as if she were looking for something. I looked back at her trying to put as much love as I felt into my own eyes. When Bella spoke, she took me utterly by surprise by saying, "How can you say that you do not have a soul, Edward? I can see right into it in your eyes." I didn't know what to think about this. I was still convinced that since my mortal body had died, my soul had gone with it and I was nothing but a soulless monster now. I had long ago decided that even if that were not the case, my past sins killing humans had made me devoid of a soul. The last two years had finally made me question this, wondering if a soulless beast could really feel this much love for another being.

I shook my head saying, "You amaze me, Bella. With everything that is happening, you are still concerned about the state of my soul." I thought she would be exhausted and scared.

Then she said, "That's because I feel safe here, Edward. I feel safe with your arms around me. I know that you are not going to let anything bad happen to me. Your _soul _keeps me safe. I love you."

It made me feel so good to hear Bella say this. I had feared that she would never trust me or feel safe with me again after the day I left her in the forest. _My soul_, she had said, _keeps her safe. _I lingered on this thought briefly. Bella certainly had a way of making me ponder the state of my soul and whether it really existed or not. This brought on a whole new wave of passion for me and I started kissing her fervently.

I pulled her blouse over her head and gently caressed her breasts, letting my hand trace her soft curves. I kissed her chest softly and, after getting rid of the bra, I sucked on her beautiful nipples, relishing the feeling of them tightening against my lips. She was very relaxed and appeared to be enjoying herself. I continued kissing and gently sucking on her bare skin, working my way past her chest and to the soft skin on her belly. While I was swirling my tongue around her belly button, she pushed her thigh against my erection.

This elicited an involuntary groan from my throat and a reflex action of pushing my mid-section back into her thigh. She was not helping my imagination to slow down any. The monster yawned again, but did not make a move. Bella whispered, "Edward? Could I try something? If it is too much, I promise to stop."

I could not imagine what torture my little minx had in mind for me. I leaned up to kiss her lips and asked curiously, "What is it that you would like to try, sweetheart?" She blew my mind with what she said next.

"I would really rather show you than tell you." There was limited light in the bedroom now, but I could see that she had blushed deeply. I watched her intently for a brief moment before I gave my approval.

"All right, love. Show me then."

She disentangled herself from the bed linens and pushed against my shoulder indicating she wanted to me to lie on my back. I obliged her efforts and waited impatiently for whatever was coming. She leaned in close to me, and I could feel her breath on my skin. My lust was unbridled. She was moving maddeningly slowly as she slid her leg over the top of me. My breath hitched and she stopped.

"Is it…all right…if I continue?"

I searched my mind for the monster who I found lying in his cage. He was wide-awake and twitching his tail, but did not attempt to free himself. I nodded my head for her to continue, unable, or unwilling, to speak.

Bella crawled on top of me and looked down at me from her position straddling my hips. I was completely absorbed by her beauty. I studied her face as she eyed me with caution. I perceived that she was unsure what my reaction would be to whatever she had planned next. Honestly, I was not sure what my reactions were going to be either, so I was grateful for her discretion. I concentrated hard on keeping myself under control, although it was next to impossible with Bella straddling me like this. She tugged gently on my shirt so I helped her out by ripping it off.

When I put my hands back around her waist, Bella reached down to the waistband of my slacks. I was consumed by desire for her and pushed my groin gently against her in approval. She unbuttoned and unzipped my slacks with shaking hands then leaned over to kiss me. Her movements were quite slow and deliberate and I began to wonder if she knew she was treading on thin ice or if her goal was to drive me insane with lust and desire.

As she lightly kissed my lips, she crushed her breasts to my chest. The monster yawned and sat back on his haunches. I decided that she needed to be reminded that she was walking a fine line and said, "You are playing with fire, Bella. This is very dangerous, love. You promise you will stop if I tell you to, or if you see that I am losing control?" My voice was surprisingly husky and I noticed that my breathing had become uneven. The last thing I wanted was for her to stop because the human man in me wanted to see where this was going to lead. On the other hand, I wanted her aware that she was moving into dangerous territory trying to take control like this. It was making me uncomfortable and crazed with desire all at the same time.

"Edward, I promise I will not let you hurt me," she whispered. She kissed me lightly one more time, and then moved off me to pull the rest of her clothing off. I was helpless to do anything but lay there and watch her. She would never be able to fathom how beautiful she was to me. I was so engrossed in watching her that it didn't dawn on me that she wanted me naked too. She smiled as she reached across the bed and tugged at my slacks. I quickly slipped them off, along with my boxers, and tossed them both aside.

Bella crawled back onto the bed very slowly and deliberately. I watched the muscles in her body tense and release with each of her movements, savoring every tiny ripple in her skin. She took up position straddling my thighs. Her movements remained slow, calculating. Her hand slowly moved in front of her and I watched her fingers encircle my hardness. I gasped and closed my eyes, ordering the monster to lie back down. He was becoming rather impatient, growling and pacing in his cage. Her hand withdrew.

I decided if she really wanted to do this, I was going to have to feel like I had some sort of control over her movements. "Bella, if you want to touch me like that, would you please let me take your hand so I can control it a little more?" I said, barely above a whisper.

Her whispering voice rasped when she said, "Yes."

I desperately wanted to continue to watch Bella, but I was terrified of opening my eyes. I knew that the visual stimulation would be too much in combination with the sensations of touch and scent. I took her hand and guided it back to my shaft. She wrapped her fingers around it again and I slid my hand back to her wrist. Her fingers felt like heaven on my skin. They were feather-light and warm as she explored my organ. I begged the monster to stay where he was as she slowly stroked me.

After just a few short minutes, six to be exact, she released me and crawled up to kiss me. I was both sad and relieved that she stopped. I put my arms around her and silently let the relief wash over me that I had been able to allow her to touch me like that without losing my composure. I could have been done for the night right then, but Bella had other ideas.

Her kisses became more urgent and she moved her body up into position for me to enter her. I struggled desperately with my monster as she reached her hand between us to maneuver me into place at the entrance to her dripping wet, steaming hot core. I heard the moan escape me before I knew it was coming. Bella stopped, poised above me with her hand on my member, and said, "Are you all right, Edward? Should I stop?"

I was angry when the monster whispered to me, "Yes, Edward, let her continue, please." I screamed at him in my head, _"Shut up damn it!"_

"Yes, love, I'm fine." _Bella's word. Fine. _"You do not need to stop unless you want to, angel."

I gasped when she slid her body down and fully sheathed me inside her. She gasped as well. My hips thrust themselves towards her without my brain telling them to move. She was so wet that she instantly coated me with her nectar. I tried to caress her gently, but was so overcome with lust; I truly did not know how gentle I was being.

Bella whispered, "Should I slow down, Edward?"

I shook my head no. I didn't want her to slow down. Hell, I never wanted her to stop. Ever. She settled into a rhythm that I knew was the rhythm she needed, so I tried to match her. She sat back and rested her hands on my stomach, caressing the muscles there. Her motion gradually built up a pace that I knew was going to send me over the edge along with her. I continued to keep my eyes tightly closed, and again ordered the monster to stay put. I was not going to allow him to ruin this by begging me to kill Bella. Bella's weight on me as she ground her hips against mine was the only feeling I wanted to concentrate on right now.

"Edward…look at me…please."

I wanted to scream at her to be careful what she wished for, but I didn't. I just steeled myself against my inner monster's reaction, and opened my eyes. I smiled at her to reassure her, not sure what she would see in my eyes, and when I did, Bella began to shudder. She started bucking hard against my hips. I removed my hands from their resting place on her waist and reached for her arms. Her hands flew up and she wrapped her fingers in mine and clutched tightly to them as she continued to ride me. Her head was thrown back and her hair shrouded her body. She was magnificent.

I felt myself losing control quickly and it scared me when I suddenly grabbed her and flipped us over so that I was on top of her. I heard boards cracking as I plunged into her and I prayed that I was not hurting her. Her mouth was open and a slow guttural groan was emitting from her throat. I felt her spasms start as she screamed something about God and Edward. My entire body convulsed as my orgasm ripped through me like a runaway train. My mind could register nothing but the ecstasy that enveloped me and I continued to thrust against her warm wetness while my venom spurted into her cavern. I heard her murmuring to me, but I could not concentrate on what she was saying. I was busy wrestling with the monster who had loosed himself and was trying as hard as he could to take over my actions and send my lips crashing to her neck.

When I finally gained control of him, I leaned in to kiss her. I deeply desired to find her still in one piece and unafraid. Apparently, she either was in shock or unhurt because she grabbed my hair and kissed me intensely. In my mind, I shook my head at her and thought, "_Sweet naïve little Bella who has no idea what pain and pleasure this is for me."_

I rolled away from her and pulled her to my side. I said, "I love you, Bella, I love you more than anything else in this world." When I said this, Bella ran her hand over my chest, touching my nipples. They were already on fire and I took her hand and kissed each of her fingers to save her from the damage that continuing to do that was going to cause.

"I love you too, Edward, so much."

When I had gained full control of my senses and my mind, I chuckled aloud and said, "Bella, are you trying to commit suicide?" Somehow, the whole thing suddenly seemed funny to me. I could not imagine what was humorous, but it was.

She leaned on her elbow to look at me and smiled. Then, seductively, she peeked out at me from under her eyelashes and said, "I'm sorry, that must have been miserable for you." The look she was giving told me that she really was not sorry.

With my smile still plastered on my face I answered her with, "Miserable is not the word I would use, love. You have become very bold, Bella, bolder than I have ever known you to be. I love it, but I don't know if I am strong enough to let you continue to be this way." I gave her my best mischievous grin and waited for her reaction.

"Are you saying you liked it?" she said, blushing. _How can I think straight when she looks so gorgeous lying there?_ When I thought about this a moment, the only wish I had was that she was already changed so that I could just let go and quit worrying all the time about hurting her, but I wasn't about to say this to her. She would only be too eager to talk me into changing her immediately.

I almost slipped when I started to speak and said, "Oh, I more than liked it. I just wish…" I cut my sentence off abruptly and stared into her expressive brown eyes that were so full of love for me.

"What is it that you wish, Edward?"

"Nothing, forget I said it. Everything is perfect, just the way it is. Would you like another glass of water before you try to sleep, love? It is almost morning and I want to show you some of Paris while we are here. Besides, I need to get you covered up before I am tempted to take you again."

"I don't need any more water. I'm feeling extremely satisfied in all ways right now." _That's wonderful, love, so am I, _I thought smugly. I tucked her into bed and pulled my boxers back on before I crawled back into bed next to her. I wasn't sure if this was to keep her from getting ideas, or to keep me from getting them. I kept her wrapped in the sheet and a blanket as I pulled her close and started humming in her ear. My Bella went to sleep smiling, bless her.

I watched her sleep for a long while. I knew this was a pastime I would never tire of, but that it would soon end. I tried not to think about that as she stirred slightly and said, "Oh, Edward…" I would never tire of hearing that either. She was sleeping rather peacefully, and I heard some deer munching on leaves not far from the cottage. It reminded me of my thirst, and my throat burned and ached in response to hearing them outside. I decided that since Bella was sleeping, it would be a good time for me to go on a quick hunt. I noticed that since Bella and I had become more physical, my thirst had started to bother me sooner. I didn't dwell on it though because I decided my thirst was a good thing. Better my leaving her to hunt than to hurt her.

I crept out of bed and pulled on some clothes. I started the coffee pot and found some sweet rolls. Alice must have called the caretakers to bring some food before we got here. What a wonderful sister. I composed a quick note to Bella and quickly read over it. "_Bella, My Love, I have gone out to hunt. I sensed a herd of deer nearby and decided I might not get another opportunity for a while. I hope that I am back before you awaken, but if not; here is some breakfast for you. We will go into Paris today, so get ready… Forever yours, Edward." _It would do.

I slipped out the back door to find the herd of deer. They were certainly not my favorite, but they would just have to do. Soon I had found the small herd. There were eight of them. I stalked them and soon had my prey. I took down five of them, as they were small, and satiated my thirst. I carefully cleaned up the carcasses so as not to arouse suspicion.

I wandered the area nearby the cottage for some time just to check it out. There was a brook not too far away and I sat down on the edge of it to think for a bit and clear my head. I could not hear any human or vampiric thoughts nearby so knew that Bella would be safe while I was out here.

I pondered the Volturi and became curious as to whether they were in pursuit yet. Alice would know. As soon as I decided to call her, my cell buzzed. Alice's timing never ceased to amaze me. It was almost in the instant that I decided to call her that she called.

"Alice! Thank you so much for the accommodations that you have provided us. It is perfect, and the food for Bella was a really nice touch."

"You're welcome, Edward, just be sure to, um, clean up your messes. I don't want that smell there next time Jasper is there. It might send him on a mad killing spree." She laughed after saying this. If I could have a rock fall on me and crush me to death at that moment I would have been thankful. Why did all of my family have to be so 'open' about everything?

Alice knew what my silence was about and quickly said, "I'm sorry, Edward, I know that kind of talk embarrasses you and I tried not to look, but I am pretty in tune with my visions right now since I am trying to watch the Volturi so closely you know. You had to know that I was going to see you and Bella…"

"Okay, Alice. I get your point. What are the Volturi up to?"

"Well, it seems you won't have long to wait. They will be catching up with you tomorrow. I believe that you have decided to go to the Louvre tomorrow and see other things today?"

"That's right. So we have a day to ourselves?"

"Yes, you will be fine today. They are not in any hurry. They don't really want to instill any fear, just check to see what you are up to."

"How many are they sending, and who?"

Alice didn't speak for a moment and this concerned me. "Alice?"

"Yes, I heard you, Edward," she said curtly. "Do you really want to know?"

"Well, yes, I suppose that I do. I would like to know who I am looking for and how many of them there will be." I was alarmed suddenly and added, "Alice? Am I going to need back up?"

"Oh no, you will be fine by yourself, Edward. Their orders are to speak with you about your plans only, not to pursue you, or to issue any kind of punishment or anything. They only want to see what you are up to. They will be speaking with your housekeeping staff at Chateau de Bella today, and then they will travel by night and meet up with you tomorrow."

"Alice, who is coming?"

"Jane and Demetri are coming, Edward."

"If they are not coming to cause any problems, why in the world would they send Jane?"

"She wasn't sent, Edward."

Now I was confused. "What do you mean 'she wasn't sent'?"

"She volunteered."

_Of all the low-down things. Aro and Caius could have sent anyone, yet they let Jane volunteer and allowed her to come?_

"What is this all about, Alice? I don't understand."

"Edward, please trust me. Jane is not going to do anything to you. We already know that she can't do anything to Bella. I think you should just let it go. Go with the flow, so to speak."

I was very uncomfortable with this. "Do they know where we are staying?"

"Of course not, Edward! They haven't even found out that you have gone to Paris yet. They are laying in wait near the chateau, watching for signs of someone home. Edward, please stop worrying. If anything changes, I will get in touch with you immediately. In the meantime, take Bella out and show her a good time for crying out loud. I swear you two will be in bed for the next…"

"ALICE!"

"Sorry. It is getting easier for you though."

"MARY ALICE! I'm going to hang up if you keep talking about… that."

I could hear Alice's muffled laughter over the phone. I rolled my eyes. She covered the receiver and expected me not to hear her? Really. This was getting out of hand.

"I'm _sorry_, Edward. You are just so…sensitive about the subject. You need to lighten up, brother dear. Once Bella is changed we are all going to be in close proximity for a long time. Do you really think that four married couples are not going to have sex for a matter of possibly _years_ just because you are such a prude?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

"Damn it, Edward, you need to lighten up about this. You are going to drive everybody nuts."

"Okay, Alice, I will try, now can we get back to the matter at hand?"

Alice's voice suddenly sounded concerned. "Edward, you need to go back to the cottage right now. Something is wrong with Bella… Oh! It will end okay, but she needs you. I will talk to you later!"

She hung up. Why does she do this to me? _I swear sometimes I love her dearly and sometimes I want to tear her apart._

I jumped up and ran to the cottage at top speed to see what was wrong with Bella. When I entered the door I looked for her. I found her sitting on the couch wrapped in a sheet. Lust instantly invaded my mind, but she looked distressed. In fact, she looked more than distressed, she looked downright distraught.

I immediately thought she was worrying about the Volturi coming, and perhaps worrying that they could have come while I was gone. _Why couldn't Alice just tell me what was wrong? _I went to her and stroked her arm. I spoke in my most soothing voice and told her, "Don't worry, Bella, everything is going to be fine. I will not let them harm you." I hugged her and stroked her hair, but she did not hug me back. In fact, she didn't move.

I sat back and looked at her. She was holding back tears. Something was very wrong here. I looked around the room, listening, searching for what could have caused Bella to be sitting here in an almost catatonic state.

"Bella, what happened? Are you sick? What is wrong?"

Silently, she reached for my hand and tears spilled down her face. I quickly went over the events from last night in my mind trying to sort out if I had done something to hurt her. I was terrified now. I couldn't see anything but her arms, shoulders, neck, and face. They all looked fine. Maybe she was black and blue under the sheet, maybe she had a broken pelvis or broken ribs, I was frantic trying to figure out what was wrong. This was one of the times when I was angry that I could not read Bella's mind because if I could, this would be over already.

When she spoke, she confused me completely.

"Edward, I'm so sorry for doing this to you. I never should have made you agree to this while I was still human." Bella's eyes were fixed on the sheet covering her legs.

_What? _"What do you mean, Bella?" I was even more terrified. She must be hurt. Why did Alice tell me it was going to 'end okay' if Bella was hurt?

Her voice rose now, and as she spoke she got up and started pacing around. By the time she was done, she was screaming and stomping her feet.

"I mean making you have _sex_ with me, Edward. I am so selfish! I am completely ashamed of myself. I was obviously only thinking of myself and the thought of your pleasure never crossed my mind, and I… I don't know. I just don't know how you can ever forgive me for this. I promise I will not make you do anything else until after I am changed, Edward, I promise. I won't make you suffer any more, Edward, I won't!"

_Suffer? _I was shocked. _What did I do wrong? Why in the world would she think this? What on earth could have brought this on? Just because I left to hunt? She knows I have to do that. What do I do? Alice, why didn't you tell me what was wrong so I would know how to respond?_

I stood and crossed the floor to where she stood with her back to me, looking out the window. She was sobbing like she might never stop. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close to me. She pulled away. _Damn it Bella, stop this!_

"Don't, Edward. I told you, I will not torture you any more. Just... change me or whatever, but don't let me continue to do this to you. Please."

Her voice had no signs of this being any type of request. In fact, it sounded a lot more like a demand than a request. I considered this. Rather than letting her go, I pulled her closer. I was sobbing now, but trying to hide it from her. _THINK, Edward. How are you going to fix this? How are you going to convince her that it is not true? Why is she thinking this? Did I say something? Do something? _

I could not stand not being able to see her face any longer and I turned her around. Her face was stained with tears and her eyes were red. Her nose was red from crying. I still thought she looked like a princess. I tried to control my shaking and sobbing as I took her face in my hands and asked her to hear me out. Tears continued to spill down her beautiful face and I wanted nothing more at this moment than for her to stop.

"Bella, I love you and I would do anything for you. I am not going to change you before I make love to you again because you think that you are somehow torturing me. I have enjoyed making love to you more than anything I have ever done in my life and I would not take it back for anything. You are my life, Bella. Whatever small amount of suffering I have to do to give you what you want, need, and deserve, is a price well paid. I do not want you to give this another thought, love. While I appreciate your concern, nothing is further from the truth, and I won't have you beating yourself up about it any longer. Do you understand me, Bella? You need to stop this nonsense. It is wasted tears and wasted energy and I won't have it." I stared into her eyes, awaiting her response.

Rather than bending to my will, as she would have any other time, she reached up to my hands to remove them from her face and started shaking her head no. I was not taking no for an answer. I decided I would just have to prove it to her, so I kissed her, pulled her up into my arms, and placed her legs around my waist.

Her sheet fell down, exposing her beautiful breasts to my gaze. My lust for her heightened, and I ripped the sheet away. Her tears finally slowed, and she tentatively put her arms around me. I knew now that I was finally winning. _Bella should know better than to try something like this against my will. _

My kisses were strong and urgent. I knew that Bella would have to give in if I just kept this up. Slowly, she relaxed into my kisses and began kissing me back. I could feel her heat against my belly and smell the wonderful aroma of her arousal wafting up to my nose from between her legs.

I didn't even consider stopping. My plan was set and I was going through with this. I had to show Bella how much I wanted her. I ripped my pants off, freeing my member. I placed my hands on her beautiful bottom and lifted her away from me just enough to place my engorged organ at her entrance. I wasted no time plunging her downward onto my erection, and began pumping in and out of her.

Bella crossed her ankles behind my back, put her hands on my shoulders, and threw her head back. _I win._

It was not nearly long enough until I heard a growl escape my chest as I let loose of my orgasm, filling her with venom. As my orgasm overtook me, so Bella's overtook her and she started screaming in ecstasy. I was proud of myself. I felt that this was getting too easy and it concerned me slightly, but all I cared about was that Bella had stopped crying.

My heart sunk when she buried her face in my shoulder and started crying anew. I didn't know what else to do then. I just held her there and let her cry. It occurred to me that she might be angry with me for what I had just done and I whispered to her, "Bella? I'm sorry, are you okay? Are you angry with me for… taking you like that? I just had to prove to you that…"

She looked into my eyes, looking like she might jump down and run away at any second. "No, Edward. I am not angry for that, I am fine but… Was it… difficult… for you… again?"

_I ran every second of our last times in my mind. What was she seeing that made her feel this way? I wish she wasn't so damned perceptive sometimes. _

I laughed to ease her mind and placed a chaste kiss on her nose. I told her, "No, love, it gets easier every time. You need not worry about me, love. Mind over matter. Just remember my rule. I will trust you to stop me if you need to, no matter what it takes. That's all, love. I am starting to think that everyone is right and I am not capable of hurting you, but it could happen if I let myself go too much." I was hoping that this would convince her, but not my Bella.

"That's the problem, Edward, how can you enjoy yourself if you _can't_ lose control?" _Why does she have to be so damned stubborn?_

I laughed again, hoping against hope that my easy going attitude would calm her, and said, "Silly Bella. Has there been one time that we have made love so far that I have not seemed to enjoy myself? Have I not completed the act? Even once? Have you not felt my body shake and shudder and heard me moan and cry out in the pure ecstasy of your warm body wrapped around me, Bella? Tell me. Have you not even noticed how much I enjoy making love to you?"

Finally Bella relaxed in my arms and hugged me tightly. All through this, I noted that she was still impaled on my organ, which amused me slightly.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I love you. I guess you are right. I got myself all worked up over nothing. I still think you will enjoy yourself more when I am more…durable." _There was that word again._ _Durable. Yes love, it will be the same and it will be different when you are…durable._

I searched her eyes briefly, then hugged her. "I love you, sweetheart."

Happy that this crisis had been averted, I decided we should get on the move if we were going to see all the things in Paris that I had planned for the day so I carefully removed her from my body. When I pulled my organ out of her, my venom spilled out onto the floor. I looked down at it and almost burst out laughing had it not been for the fact that Bella just blushed from her head to her toes. I grimaced and said, "Oops," remembering what Alice had told me on the phone. _"…just be sure to, um, clean up your messes.._."

Bella was bright red and would not look up. She stood there staring at the puddle on Alice's living room floor. I laughed aloud now, hugged her, and said, "Go get in the shower, love, I will take care of this and be there in a flash." I was pretty sure that Alice had a good laugh over this one. I was going to have to kill Emmett when I got home because I was quite sure that big mouth had told him and my brother did not know when to shut up.

Bella ran for the bathroom. I chuckled after her. _Silly Bella._ I cleaned up the mess, and put fresh linens on the bed. I headed for the bathroom as soon as I was done and Bella was just stepping into the shower, so I joined her there, washing her hair and body for her again. She really seemed to like this, and I enjoyed doing it.

When I was done washing her, I expected her to get out of the shower; instead she took the soap and started washing me. It felt exquisite and I didn't want her to stop. I controlled my urge to jump her again and let her explore my body with her hands.

When we were both clean to Bella's satisfaction, we got out of the shower and I grabbed a towel and started drying her off. She hugged me sighing, and said, "I hope you know that you are spoiling me, Mr. Cullen, and I like it." I loved hearing her say that she liked me spoiling her. This was certainly a new, and unexpected, side effect of advancing my physical relationship with Bella. She seemed more open to letting me do things for her and I was going to take advantage of it every chance I got.

"I am entitled to spoil my wife if I wish, and I shall never tire of it, Mrs. Cullen."

Her smile then meant the world to me and I knew that her earlier distress had ended for good. I looked at her lovingly and thought, _Mine. All mine. MY wife._

**Okay, I want to hear from everybody! Please leave a review! I really am addicted to them! (They make me complete my edits faster too...)**


	10. Chapter 10 Paris

**Time for us all to take a trip into Paris with Edward. He really knows how to show us the sights! Thank you again Lillie Cullen for EVERYTHING! Everyone needs to be sure to check out all of Lillie's awesome stories that can be found here on the FanFic website. **

Ascension

Chapter 10 - Paris

**Edward**

I tossed our suitcases on the bed and opened them. As soon as I was dressed, I grinned widely at Bella and went to take care of some items while she got ready. I disposed of the ruined sheet that I had placed in a trash bag in the kitchen. I made a mental note to have some new bed linens sent to the cottage for Alice. While I was disposing of the garbage, I quickly examined the perimeter around the cottage to make certain there were no unexpected, or unwanted, guests. Finding no one, I dashed back inside to get Bella.

She was already in the kitchen looking lovely in jeans and a blue blouse. _Perfect._ I pulled out a chair for her and said, "Please sit here and wait for me, love. I'll be right back." I ran into the bedroom, closed up our suitcases, and tucked them away in the closet. No need for anyone to see those if someone came window peeking. I tidied up everything, and went back to Bella. She looked slightly startled at how quickly I had returned and I smiled at her. I enjoyed that I could still surprise her. I gave her my arm and said, "My lady," at which she giggled deliciously. I walked her to the car and helped her in, making sure she put on her seat belt.

As I drove, I thought about what a perfect day it was going to be. I would not have to hide underneath a hat today because it was overcast. I also had wonderful things in mind to show Bella. It was going to be enjoyable for me because I would get to show her things she had never seen before. I ran over the conversation with Alice from earlier this morning in my head and felt satisfied that Bella and I would not be bothered by Jane and Demetri today.

My mind was still lost in my thoughts when Bella spoke and grounded me quickly in the reality that was Bella. "Edward?" _Will I ever get tired of hearing her say my name? _"What brought on that little display of lust this morning?" _Is she angry? No. She is curious. She wonders what makes me tick? After all this time? Hmmm._

I chuckled. "You are beautiful when you are angry, and I wanted to prove to you that it didn't matter that it is not easy for me all the time. I will make love to you as much as you want me to while you are human, Bella. It is not as though I _don't _enjoy myself, and I wanted you to see that."

She smiled at me and this brought a whole new wave of lust into my head. I was afraid that I was turning into a sex-crazed lunatic, just like Emmett. I quickly shook that thought from my head. Surely this was a natural reaction to finally being intimate with Bella. I thought about her lustfully before, but always tried to suppress it because of my fear that it wasn't possible and my conviction that I would not do anything to take her virtue until we were married. Now that we were married, and I had proven to her, and myself, that I could be intimate with her without hurting her, it would be natural for me to feel this lust. After this analysis, I decided to allow myself to feel the lust dousing me in its flame. I began to become aroused however, and decided I should continue to suppress it. I wanted to make sure that we actually made it to Paris and what would Bella think if I walked around all day with a raging hard-on? She would be tremendously embarrassed and would probably refuse to go anywhere else with me. Bella's words brought me back to the present again.

"Edward, if it is ever too hard for you, all you have to do is say so. Promise me you will."

I chuckled again. "Okay, Bella, if it will make you feel better, I promise." _Ah, my Bella, girl of the one track mind. Will she ever stop trying to sacrifice her own needs for mine?_

I paid attention to where I was going now because we were in the middle of the city. The Paris traffic was difficult at best. I was headed for Notre Dame first so I ran over the route to get there in my mind.

"Where are we going, Edward?"

"Notre Dame, love."

She smiled a smile that lit her whole face up. It brought me great joy to see her so happy. I was glad I had made a good first choice. She was looking out the windows as we drove and seemed to be very absorbed in the different sights. She gasped when she saw the Eiffel Tower rising up above the city.

"Oh, Edward, it's beautiful," she said, pointing at it.

I nodded. "Yes, love, it is. Just wait until later," I said and smirked. I knew that she would be seeing the sunset from the top of the Eiffel Tower that night and couldn't wait to hear what she had to say about that.

Once we reached a parking area near the cathedral, I parked the car and we walked the rest of the way. Bella held her breath when we approached the front. She stopped and stared at the imposing front entrance of the cathedral with its wonderful architecture. We entered the cathedral via the Portal of Saint Anne, the southern-most portal. I whispered to Bella the history of the cathedral, and the symbolism of the towers, the statues, the stained glass windows, and pointed out all of the sculptures of the angels, kings, prophets, and elders of the apocalypse that adorned the portal.

Bella was like a child on Christmas morning gasping and pointing out things. She asked a million questions and I answered every one to the best of my knowledge. I showed her everything I knew about the cathedral, enjoying its beauty myself. It had been a long while since I had visited. I felt like Bella's professor of architecture, spirituality, and history all rolled into one. She was enthralled with the vision of the rosettes. I explained to her that these were some of the greatest masterpieces of Christianity. We studied the images of the Twelve Apostles, the Saints and Martyrs, the angels, the scenes from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, scenes from the life of Saint Matthew, the Descent into Hell, and the Resurrection of Christ contained in the stained glass.

"Have you read the bible, Edward?"

I was a bit embarrassed by this question. I wondered what her reaction would be when I told her that I had, on multiple occasions. I was sure the subject of my soul would come up again, but I answered her honestly. "Yes, Bella. I have read it several times, as well as many history books and documents about the history of Christianity and the history of the European Cathedrals."

She didn't say anything, to my surprise. She just nodded and looked around as though she were trying to absorb as much as she could. I led her to the Cloister, and there, we examined the stained glass windows there. I read the Latin inscriptions to Bella in Latin, and then translated them to English for her. It was the Legend of Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris. Unfortunately, we were only able to access the last six of the eighteen scenes that were portrayed there. Bella hung on to my every word, especially when I read the Latin to her. Her eyes shone as she stared at me in awe.

When I was satisfied that we had seen all we could on the inside, I took her out to the backside of the cathedral to see the Flying Buttresses. I explained to her how these helped to hold up the weight of the heavy roof of the cathedral. I pointed to my favorite figures and said, "Do you know what those are, love?"

"Gargoyles?" she responded.

"Yes, love, but the other ones, see them? Up there?" I pointed again. She squinted and nodded as recognition set in.

"Yes, what are they?"

"Chimera. Half-man and half-beast. They're use on the cathedral is for simple decoration, it is thought, but supposedly, they are to remind us that all creatures are the work of God, so they deserve His love and salvation." Bella turned to look at me after I said this. I gazed into her eyes. She had just the hint of a smile on her lips.

"You see, Edward? You haven't been forgotten."

I didn't know what to say to her. I didn't want to get into the old argument about my soul with her again. I glanced back at the Chimera, and thought about the words I had just said to her. I looked back at her, and managed a slight nod before I took her hand and slowly walked back to the front of the cathedral.

We stood looking at it, and for the first time in a very long time, I said a silent prayer. _"Heavenly Father, I hope that Bella is right. I hope that I do still deserve your love and salvation. Amen."_ Bella squeezed my hand.

"What are you thinking about, Edward?"

"Just how wonderful it is to be here with you, love. Are you ready to move on?"

"No, but I don't want to see just this," she said sadly. I knew, in that instant, that someday I would have to bring Bella back. I could hear the rumbles in Bella's abdomen, and knew she was hungry, so I reluctantly started back towards the car to take her to eat. The scent of her blood told me that her blood sugar level was slightly low, so I knew that eating was the only option for her right now. I did not remember what human hunger felt like, but decided that since my thirst could get very painful, human hunger must get that way as well.

While I drove, I thought about how unfortunate it was that humans had to eat so often. There would have been much more time for sight-seeing if I did not have to stop to feed Bella, nonetheless I loved watching her eat so I was not about to complain. Bella did though. She whined, "I'm tired of having to take breaks all the time so I can feed my feeble human body, Edward. Let's just wait until supper time."

"Bella, you need to eat. I can hear your stomach growling from a mile away."

We stopped at a small café and I ordered Tartines for her. I hoped she would enjoy the toasted country bread. I was not sure whether she would like it with cheese, vegetables, or prosciutto, so I ordered some of each. She looked delighted when it came and I began breaking the bread into small pieces and putting them in her mouth.

"Edward, I can feed myself, you know."

"You know how much I love to watch you eat, and especially to feed you. Just go along with me, please?" She shook her head at me, but went along with me to placate my silly fantasies, or at least that was what she looked like she was doing. I plopped a grape in her mouth and she grabbed hold of my fingers with her lips and sucked on them lightly. I suppressed the moan that almost escaped my lips, then concentrated on suppressing the desire to crush the table between us and ravish her. She smiled mischievously as though she knew exactly what I was thinking.

She finished her glass of Chateau Coutet and leaned across the table to kiss me. The scent of the wine was mixed with Bella's scent and it was delectable. I could smell the honey scent of the wine and it accented Bella's lilac and freesia scent. I licked my lips when she pulled away and she gave me that mischievous grin again.

I made a decision to get us out of the café before we made complete spectacles of ourselves. I assisted Bella into the car, and drove us straight to the Palace of Versailles. Once again, she was like a child. She even clapped her hands a couple of times in delight. I was in awe watching her explore the Palace and the gardens. This was more enjoyable than I ever would have dreamed. Bella's eyes were wide with delight as she took in everything. I, again, regaled her with the history of the Palace and the grounds, pointing out everything I could. The gardens were magnificent and Bella slowed down, it seemed, to take in every single petal of every flower. I could tell she was particularly enjoying the gardens and a thought occurred to me that I shared with her. "If you'd let me," I said with Bella in my arms, "I would build you a palace just like this with the gardens and all, and I would lock you away from the world so I could have you just to myself for eternity." I kissed her cheek after I said it, and her knees felt weak. I held her up and she laid her head back against my shoulder, closed her eyes, and shivered. "Are you cold, love?" I whispered.

"No, Edward. I'm dazzled. You speaking of our love in terms of eternity does that to me."

I smiled. My Bella was so happy. She didn't seem to have a care in the world, which pleased me. I gazed at my beautiful wife with awe. _I am the luckiest man alive._

Once we had completed our tour of Versailles, I decided she had enough walking for a while and took her for a drive. She seemed amazed by my knowledge of all the intricate workings and history of the different places in Paris. Sometimes I think she forgot that I had 24 hours a day for 90 years to learn all of this, and my mind did not forget knowledge as easily as a human mind does. I had read about Paris extensively between my infrequent visits there.

We drove down the Champs Elysées past the Arc de Triomphe. Next we passed by the Place de la Concorde where the Obelisk of Luxor was situated. I pointed and told Bella, "That is where the guillotine executions of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette occurred in 1793, Bella."

"Oh my!" she exclaimed.

I took her past the historic Opéra National de Paris next. "This is the Opéra National de Paris, Bella. It is 118,404 square feet in size. When architect Charles Farnier started construction in 1862, an underground lake and spring were discovered that stopped the construction for a time. Once the problem was overcome, they continued building, but the lake remains beneath the cellars of the building."

"There is a lake underneath it?"

I nodded, then added, "There is a chandelier inside that weighs over six tons. You have never seen Phantom of the Opera have you, Bella?"

"No," she said, shaking her head, but still staring at the large opera house. I knew she wanted to go inside, but was saddened that we did not have time. I drove on towards the Bastille while telling Bella about the storming of the Bastille in 1789 beginning the French Revolution that ultimately ended in the deaths of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. She seemed particularly interested in that part of French history. I knew that she had enjoyed our visit to Versailles greatly and was now pleased to be seeing other parts of the history I had told her about while there.

As evening drew near, the clouds began to dissipate. I was pleased that we would be able to visit the Eiffel Tower under a clear sky. I found a restaurant close to the tower where we could sit outside and enjoy the sounds of Paris while she ate. As Bella ate, I watched her every move. Every bite that she placed in her delicate mouth was torture to me. I wanted to kiss her lips with every nibble. She seemed to enjoy her meal, though I knew she was silently fuming about having to stop and eat again. She tried not to let it show, but I could see it in her eyes. I was thankful that Bella's eyes were so expressive. If I could not read her mind, at least I could read her face. It was a blessing that she was not completely closed off to me.

When Bella had eaten all she wanted, we walked to the Eiffel Tower. I purchased the required tickets to ride the elevators. I had always taken the stairs, but did not think that Bella would appreciate that. We went to the top and out onto the observation deck just as the sun was slipping below the horizon.

Once again, Bella was overwhelmed with the beauty. I stood behind her and held her while she looked out at the beautiful city. I could tell she was tiring quickly, but didn't want to stop. The City of Lights twinkled as darkness crept over the land.

As I gazed out onto the city, it occurred to me that I wished that Bella could see what I could see. I could see all of the details so clearly. I could see the people walking down the streets. I could see each light that twinkled for miles. I could see the chimera that adorned Notre Dame watching over the city. I was taken in by the beauty of it all, and decided I would share this one thought with Bella about what she would see when she was seeing through immortal eyes. I leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Bella, I want to bring you back here after your change, after you have gained control, and I want you to see Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower through my eyes."

Bella stopped breathing when I said this. I said nothing more to interrupt the moment. I held her there until her breath returned. When it did, she turned to me and placed her warm hand on my cheek. She said, "I would love nothing more, Edward. I love you." I smiled at her and thought about an eternity with Bella showing her new things and for the first time, my thoughts of Bella being immortal were happy ones.

I could see in her face that she was exhausted. I took her hand in mine, kissed it, and said, "We must go, Bella, you are exhausted, but we will be back someday, I promise. I love you."

She did not argue so we made our way to the elevators and back to the car. Before we got there, Bella was stumbling. My hand, that seemed to grow out of the small of her back, suddenly didn't seem enough. I quickly picked her up and carried her the last block to the car, not caring what anyone thought. A few people looked at us, but all of their thoughts were kind. Most of them thought that it was very romantic that I was carrying my wife down the street. I smiled at those who thought this. I was glad they thought so, because I thought so too.

I put Bella into the car and secured her there. She was asleep before I started the engine. I drove quickly back to the cottage and carried her inside. She never awakened and didn't talk in her sleep. I knew that she was extremely exhausted and I mentally berated myself for allowing her to get this tired. I put her in bed, and undressed her. My desire for Bella was raging, but I tucked it away, and put some pajamas on her. They were blue silk.

I was having a difficult time taking my eyes off her as I changed her and tucked her into bed. Through all of this, her only response was to sigh a couple of times. I stood by the side of the bed and watched her momentarily. I counted myself fortunate to have such a beautiful wonderful woman all to myself.

When I was sure Bella was not going to awaken, I lit the stove for warmth for her, and retired to the living room. Lust was raging through my mind and body and I knew that if I were to lay down with her, I would awaken her and I did not want to do that. Bella needed her sleep.

I stood staring out the window for a long time, thinking about the talk I needed to have with Bella tomorrow. I would not discuss her waking up from her change yet. I wanted another day to think about what I needed to tell her.

I decided that I should discuss Carlisle's and my plan for changing her. I would need to tell her that we would be moving to Alaska and that we planned to speak with the Quileute about the treaty before we left. I reminded myself to ask her what she wanted to tell her family and to abide by whatever her decision was. I knew, also, that I would need to discuss with her that I wanted our whole family to be there for her change. We had never specifically discussed this, but I felt that she would agree with me on this subject. It only felt right that we remain a family while we went through this transition from Bella's human life to her immortal one.

Thinking of all of this took away my good mood. I was becoming sullen quickly. I knew that I had to stop feeling this way before morning. I decided to call Carlisle again.

Emmett answered the phone. _Great._

"Hey, bro! Aren't you supposed to be on your honeymoon? What are you calling here for? Do you need some pointers? You wanna know how to clean vampire venom off the floor?"

_That's it, I'm killing Alice and Emmett both when I get home._

"Thanks, Emmett, I think I've got it covered. Is Carlisle home?"

"Yeah, he's home, but I don't think that he's got the same perspective on this that I do, Eddie. Don't you want to ask me?"

I growled at him. "No, Emmett, I do not need any sex advice right now, but thanks for thinking of me. I will thank you to keep that crap to yourself when we get home. Bella would die of embarrassment. Can I please talk to Carlisle?"

"Touchy, touchy. Geez. Yeah, I'll get Carlisle. Really, I hope you are having a good time though, even though the Volturi are lurking around."

"Yeah, thanks, Emmett. We had a great day today."

"Good to hear, bro, talk to you later, here's Carlisle."

I was thankful to be rid of Emmett and his inappropriate comments. I didn't know how we were going to face him when we got home. Bella would be appalled. I made a mental note to kick Alice's ass for telling him rather than killing them. Death, after all, seemed a bit harsh for Emmett being…well…Emmett.

"Edward, is everything all right?"

_Thank goodness, it's Carlisle. _"Yes, Carlisle, everything is fine. I just wanted to talk to you some more about what we talked about earlier. I am going to talk to Bella tomorrow and wanted to run it by you."

Carlisle agreed and we again discussed all the scenarios regarding moving our family, Bella's family, and Bella's change. He mentioned that we could have Alice look into her visions to see what we would need to do to make Bella's decision regarding her family work for us. I agreed with him begrudgingly. I still wanted to reserve the right to veto Bella's decision, but he said no. This would have to be Bella's choice. I knew that he was right.

Carlisle had come up with an idea regarding our family's move and he ran it by me. "You kids are all supposed to be in College this year anyway, Edward. I don't think that anyone would be suspicious if Esme and I went on a sabbatical to reconnect with all of you kids out of the house."

"Yes, that makes a lot of sense. Then it won't seem like we are all just disappearing."

I knew this was the right thing to do. If we stayed in Forks and Charlie had any clue that we were there, he would want to see Bella. If he thought that Carlisle and Esme were still there, he might even try to visit them to compare notes on what they had heard while we were gone and be suspicious if he saw another member of the family there.

"I have a house picked out in Alaska, Edward. Will it bother you at all if I go ahead and purchase it now? I can take an extended leave of absence from the hospital so that if things work out with the Quileute, we can return to Forks if Bella so desires."

"That sounds fine, Carlisle. You don't need my permission to purchase a home for the family."

"I didn't want you to feel like I was pushing you."

"Thank you."

"I will also make contact with the tribe and try to set up a meeting shortly after you return. We will both need to talk to them."

"Yes, I think you are right about that."

Finally, I broached the subject that brought me the least comfort, Bella's change itself. I knew that our agreement had been that I would do it. I wanted to make sure that Carlisle and I were on the same page as to how. We discussed this at length.

"Edward, I have done a lot of thinking and studying about this. I feel that, perhaps, you should try to take a large amount of her blood before you complete your venom injections. I am theorizing that if only enough blood is left to keep her heart beating, it might not be as difficult or take as long. I will, of course, try the Morphine again, unless you object."

"I want to do anything and everything possible to keep Bella as comfortable as I can."

"On that note, I spoke with Jasper again today, and he agreed, per your request, to try to participate as much as he can. It will be difficult for him because if Bella feels the pain, despite our efforts, it will be as though he is experiencing it first hand. He said he would attempt to stay close and soothe her as much as he possibly could."

"I appreciate your speaking with him. I will owe him immeasurably if he can help Bella. God forbid our efforts are wasted trying to make her comfortable, Jasper just might be our only hope."

"Jasper is also concerned that you are going to need his gift as well, so his hope is that you will benefit from his efforts with Bella, and hopes as well, that if Bella does not need him, you will allow him to stay anyway and help you."

"I am not concerned about myself, though that is kind of Jasper to think of me. I would prefer he concentrate his efforts on Bella. Even with everything we are going to do to try to ease it, her mind will still be intact for the most part and she will probably be afraid. Jasper is going to need to keep her as calm as possible. If I get uncomfortable, I will try to allow Jasper's gift to assist my mood as well."

"I hope that you will allow all of us to assist you, Edward. We all know that this is going to be every bit as difficult for you as it is Bella. I know first-hand how difficult it will be for you to watch her. I want you to think about tucking away some of your pride and allowing the rest of the family to be your strength during this time."

Carlisle was truly the best family leader that we could ask for. The Volturi would say that he was our coven leader. I supposed in some ways that was true, but to us, it was a family, and he was the head of the household, and that was how it would always be.

"Thank you, Carlisle, for everything."

"You're welcome, son. I will speak with you again soon."

Upon hanging up the phone, I went to the bookshelves to find something interesting to read. I was thankful for Alice stocking this place well with things that would be interesting to our vampire minds.

I sat down to read and heard Bella moan my name softly in her sleep. This brought a smile to my face, and brought my lust to the surface again. I quickly quelled it and continued to read. I listened to her breathing in the back of my mind, waiting for her to awaken.

I tried not to think about her impending change and how difficult it would be for me. Those thoughts would not help me stay calm in the morning when I spoke with her about it.

I dove into the book about the history of the Louvre and the art that it contained. I wanted to brush up before I took Bella there. I read it twice before I heard the tempo of Bella's breathing and heart rate change from asleep to awake. I had the stereo on, but knew that it was low enough it had not awakened her. It was still fairly early in the morning, but the sun was beaming through the windows on the east side of the cottage.

I heard Bella go into the bathroom, so I hurried into the kitchen and put some coffee on for her. I went back to the sofa to await her arrival and opened the book again, memorizing exactly which pieces of art I wanted to make sure she saw.

Bella entered the living room, and without looking up, I said, "Good morning, my love. Did you sleep well?" She yawned and plopped down on the couch next to me. When she sat down next to me, her scent was overwhelming. I inhaled deeply enjoying the burn that it created in my throat.

"You tell me if I slept well. The last thing I remember is leaving the Eiffel Tower and you had to pick me up and carry me to the car."

I smiled. Bella had rested well and that was very pleasing to me. I put down my book and wrapped my arms around her, gathering her close to me. I could never have her close enough anymore it seemed.

"Are you hungry, love?"

"I'm not really hungry, but do I smell coffee?"

Before the words left her lips, I was on my way to the kitchen. I answered, "Indeed you do, love. I'll get you some."

I heard her say, "I can get my own coffee, Edward." I did not speak aloud, but in my mind I thought, _No, my love, I will be getting your coffee for you for as long as you will be drinking it._

When I re-entered the living room, I noticed that Bella had been looking out the window. "Are you disappointed?" I knew she had been looking at the sun and blue sky.

"With what?"

"The sun."

"Oh, no, not at all, we can stay in today. That's fine with me." She smiled demurely and I let my mind wander in the direction of staying in, but stopped short of carrying Bella back to bed immediately. I did not want Jane and Demetri tracking us to Alice's cottage. I didn't want the Volturi to know about it if possible.

"Well, that's too bad because we are going to the Louvre today. We will be indoors until it clouds up later so it won't matter." I grinned back at her widely, flashing my teeth.

She giggled and said, "Okay, Mr. Sparkly-Man. When are we leaving?" _Oh Bella, I love you so much._

I steeled myself for what was coming next, but knew that I had to tell her about Jane and Demetri. Bella hated being kept in the dark, especially under the auspice of 'for her protection.'

"Whenever you are ready, love. However, we need to talk about a couple of things first. Is that alright?"

Practically before the words got out of my mouth, Bella said, "When are they coming?" She had been waiting for me to tell her. Sometimes I worry so much about protecting my lovely wife that I forget how perceptive and intuitive she is.

"Today." _She is going to be angry with me for not telling her sooner._

"Oh." _Oh? Why doesn't she look or sound upset?_

"I don't want you to worry, Bella. Their orders are simple. They are here to find out what we are doing and why we left the chateau. They have instructions to find out what our plans are and nothing else. Everything will be just fine. Alice has them on speed-dial right now."

Bella laughed and said, "Do you know who is coming, Edward?" _Lie to her, lie to her, lie to her, lie…_

"Jane and Demetri." _Damn it, Edward! Why didn't you just lie to her and say you didn't know? Because you can't. That's why._

"Oh." _What does "oh" mean? Is she afraid? Is she angry? Why is she so wretchedly confusing sometimes?_

"Bella, I told you not to worry."

"I'm not. I trust Alice, and I trust you." _Oh._

"Good. That brings us to the next part of our discussion."

Bella looked at me curiously, but did not speak. She sipped on her coffee and watched me as I struggled to find the words I needed to say to her. Finally, I just started blurting it out.

"We need to discuss…your change." Bella knew I did not like discussing her change with her because I was still not completely convinced that it was the only way, but I was resigned to it. Outside forces made it impossible for me to say no and I would not deny her request for it to be my venom that changed her, as much as I did not want it to be. I had been through enough humans changing into vampires to last me for eternity already. The only consolation I had with Bella, which was a consolation, but also a curse, was that I couldn't read her thoughts. I didn't know if sometime during her change I would be able to read her thoughts, but at least if she wasn't talking, I wouldn't be able to hear the suffering in her mind, at least not at first. No one knew what waited when she reached the other side. _How can she be so casual about sipping on her coffee right now? Maybe I should take it, she's going to spill it on herself and get a burn. _She nodded, but did not speak.

"I've been talking to Carlisle about this the last couple of days. He wanted me to discuss a few things with you. Since, more than likely, we will go home tomorrow, I wanted to talk to you a bit now. I don't want to upset you, but I need you to think about some things for me."

"I'm all ears, Edward. My interest is piqued, please go on."

"Well, there are some things that I…do not want…to discuss with you today, but there are some other things that we need to discuss now."

"Edward, please stop stalling. Get to the point. I'm not upset. I can take it."

"I'm sorry, Bella, this is a difficult thing for me to discuss with you."

She nodded, but did not speak.

"Carlisle is buying a house in Alaska today. When we get back to Forks, we will all make preparations to move."

She continued to nod at me, sipping her coffee. I wished she would stop me. I wanted her to beg me to find another way. In the last few days, I had begun to accept that Bella's change was inevitable, and even look forward to parts of it. I still had enormous objections to it, and I still hoped for her to change her mind.

"I need to know what you intend to tell your family, Bella, or rather, what you intend for us to tell your family. Carlisle and I have discussed a couple of different options, but ultimately the decision is yours." I anxiously anticipated her decision. I thought maybe she would have to think about it, but she didn't. She answered almost too quickly.

"I don't want them to think me dead, Edward. Not yet at least. Away at college is good enough for me right now. I can stay in contact with them via email. I just don't want to face the possibility that I will never see them again right now."

"What if one of them decides to visit?"

"I'll be sick." _She obviously has thought about this._

"I guess that will work for a while. We'll go with that for now then."

"It is really the best solution for me, Edward."

"I understand, love. We will just have to make it work."

"Thank you." "Is that all you wanted to discuss with me?"

"No." Her expression never changed. "I, um, do you…have any specific…questions, Bella?"

"Not really, Edward. Just tell me whatever you think I need to know."

"You know that it will take about three days."

"Yes."

"Would you object to having the whole family with us? To help us both?"

"Why would I object to that, Edward? You are going to need them there. You will be suffering. I would not have it any other way. You will need the support of your family to help you through."

_I will be suffering? What about HER? Why does she always put my needs above her own? _

"You do still plan to be the one who…"

I interrupted her. I couldn't stand to hear her say it. I was becoming very uncomfortable and extremely saddened by our conversation. "Yes, Bella. I will be the one who does it. That is your request, and I will honor it. I just hope that…"

It was her turn to interrupt me. "You won't. You stopped last time, Edward. I know you can do it again. I trust you." _I wish she didn't trust me quite so much._

"It's going to be difficult, Bella. Carlisle theorizes that if the least amount of blood that you need to survive is all that is left, the change might not take as long or be as…painful. I could kill you accidentally. I would never forgive myself." I tore my eyes away from her gaze, unable to look at her as I said this. She scooted in close to me, and took both of my hands in hers. _She is comforting me. I should be comforting her, and she is comforting me. _I was angry with myself for being weak. I was not strong enough to comfort my wife, she had to comfort me. I wanted to tear myself away from her and run away forever. She did not deserve to be treated this way. She deserved better. I knew that my love for her outweighed my desire to leave her again 'for her benefit' but it didn't stop me from feeling weak and useless. I felt a coward, and wished she would point it out to me.

"Then stop before you think you need to, Edward. I am not going to blame you for my change taking three days, or for being painful." _Of course you won't, because you are so selfless. "_I am aware of the dangers, and I am willing to take the risk for a chance at being with you forever. I want this, Edward." _I know you do. Why is it so difficult for me then?_ "I don't want you to have to treat me like a porcelain doll that is going to break for the rest of my life, and I refuse to get older while you stay the same. Call me vain, I just don't want that. It would be misery for me." _I do not want you to suffer misery, love._ "I also refuse to wait until I am older to be changed. I can imagine what people would say. Everywhere we went, people would look at you and your beauty, and think how nice it was that your tottering old grandmother was always with you. No thank you."

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. I could not help but to laugh. It was funny. I hugged her in silent thanks for her rationalization. I didn't know why her saying this made it easier for me, but somehow it did.

"I'm sorry, love. I know this is what you want. I should have discussed all of this with you sooner." _I'm ashamed of myself._

"I know it is hard for you, Edward, but it is going to happen, and it will be easier for me if I know that you have accepted it and are not still against it when you do it."

"I know, love."

"Will Alice be able to tell you what is happening and how long it will take?"

I shook my head at her sadly. I knew that Alice would not be able to see any of this. It was all too hazy. There would be too many unknowns. Alice would not be able to see her waking up until it got close to time for her to wake up. "No, love. She won't. Remember that her visions are subjective. You won't make a decision about how long it is going to take, and neither will I. Alice will be helpless until it is almost finished."

"Oh. Well, I guess you will all know what to expect anyway."

"Unfortunately."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Things will just be different for you for awhile, Bella."

"Will I still be Bella?"

"Yes." I was afraid to give her the other possibility, which was that she would not be Bella anymore. She could look like Bella, but Bella might no longer be with her. I wasn't going to think about that, and I wasn't going to tell her about it. In Edward's book of rules for Bella's transformation, that possibility was not going to be included.

"Then not to worry. It will be fine. I will be fine. Please stop worrying about this. I don't want you to dwell on this all day." _There is that wretched word again. "Fine." _

"Okay, love. If I am not allowed to worry about that, can I please interest you in eating some breakfast before we leave for town? I know how you hate having to stop to eat all the time, and the Louvre is a large place. There will be lots to explore." She sighed.

"Alright, Edward. I will eat before we go."

"Good, give me your coffee cup."

I refilled her coffee and plundered the kitchen to find a breakfast fit to last her until suppertime. I wondered how she expected me not to worry about her, but decided that I would try to abide by her wishes. I had the distinct impression that the days of my winning an argument with Bella were over. She was exuding newfound boldness and confidence over the last couple of days that intrigued me. I was curious if it was just my perception of her that had changed, or if Bella really had become different. Whatever it was, I was beginning to like it.

**Please don't forget to review! I am still working on the next few chapters and remember, I edit faster the more reviews I get! If you have not yet added to your favorites, please do so you will be notified when I update!**


	11. Chapter 11 The Louvre

**A/N Thanks to all who have added as their Favorite and to their Alerts. Thank you especially to all those who have reviewed because I am totally addicted to reviews! I feel that I must add a warning to this chapter, as I had a...um...experience earlier this week. LEMON WARNING! Do NOT read at WORK! lol Seriously though, they are still on their honeymoon. Both of them were virgins, and Edward has about, oh, 100 years of pent-up sexual frustration to work on. Plus, the next few chapters are not going to be so much fun. Sorry, but they aren't! I hope you enjoy and PLEASE take the time to leave some LOVE after you read!**

Ascension

Chapter 11 – The Louvre

**Edward**

Bella seemed to enjoy the quiche I made for her. Somehow she didn't act like she thought that I had really made it, but she seemed to enjoy it. I went to clean up in the kitchen while she headed into the bathroom to shower. As I was cleaning up, I started imagining her in the shower. I wanted nothing more than to be there with her.

It seemed that being intimate with Bella was consuming my thoughts more and more the last couple of days. It was as though our first night together had awakened something in me that I had been repressing for a long time. All the time I had spent thwarting her advances must have tucked that part of me into the back of my mind and it was now returning to me. I used to long to see Bella naked, but never like this. Now I just wanted her naked and to be making love to her all the time. I imagined for a moment taking her somewhere remote, like Siberia, locking her up in a cabin with me for the winter, and not letting her have any clothes. This thought brought a rather large smile to my face and I decided I had better stick with just joining her in the shower. With the new confidence that Bella was gaining, I didn't think she would allow me to lock her up anywhere.

I walked into the bathroom silently and watched her briefly. She was standing with her hands against the wall, letting the water run over her perfect body. I watched as each droplet of water ran down her spine and slid down her bottom. I memorized every detail about that image before joining her in the shower.

When I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her neck, she felt like she was on fire. She moaned softly and my arousal immediately became physical rather than just mental. She turned to face me and I kissed her long and deep, pulling her body into mine and pressing our naked bodies together. I wanted so much to kiss her with the abandon that I felt, but knew that was too dangerous, so I continued to kiss her in a manner that I knew we could both handle. I mentally checked on my ever-present monster who was lying in his cage with his back to me. _Stay, _I said to him within my mind. He twitched his tail once, but did not make any other moves.

I kissed a trail down her chest and took her nipples in my mouth one at a time while sweeping my hands around the lovely curves of her breasts. She really did feel like she was on fire then. Not only was her skin warm, but the hot water running over her was making it even warmer, and her beautiful nipples hardened immediately when my tongue and fingers touched them. My lips against her burning flesh were a delicious combination of fire and ice and I moaned softly. Bella trembled and clamped her fingers into my hair.

I had to taste her. I wanted to have her sweet nectar running down my chin. I needed to experience Bella in every way imaginable. I got down on my knees to kiss and lick my way across her soft belly until I was near her honey pot. I let my fingers explore her lower lips. They were pink and swollen with lust and desire, and even in the shower, I could differentiate the dampness between her legs that was not water. I could smell her arousal and the aroma invaded my senses driving me mad. I had become addicted to the smell of her blood mixed with the smell of her arousal. My monster shifted almost imperceptibly in his cage and switched his tail again. I again ordered him to stay within my mind.

I finally reached paradise with my tongue. Her skin felt even hotter now as I probed her depths. Her juices tasted so sweet on my tongue that I could have lapped it up for hours. I entered her with my fingers and began drawing lazy circles on her most sensitive spot with my tongue. I opened my eyes to see what her reaction was and saw her standing there with her head back, arms stretched out holding herself up on each side of the shower, and her legs parted in…_What the HELL is that on her thigh? On BOTH thighs! DAMN IT! WHAT have I DONE!?!_

I stopped what I was doing immediately and yelled, "BELLA!" before I could stop myself. It reverberated off the walls in the shower and I hoped I hadn't burst her ear drums. I threw myself back to the back of the shower and sank to the floor. _I bruised her. I hurt her. I hurt her and she didn't stop me. She's asking me what is wrong. How can she ask me that? Doesn't she know that I put MARKS on her? Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God. I don't know what to do. I am so sorry. I will never touch her again. I won't. I am an animal to have bruised my wife like that having sex with her. I KNEW this was going to happen. I KNEW IT! WHY did NO ONE, especially BELLA, listen to me???_

"Edward! What _is_ it? What is _wrong_?"

I couldn't bear to look at her. I was ashamed of myself. I pointed at her legs. "That, Bella. Look what I've done to you. You can't tell me you didn't know. I am a monster. I knew this would happen." She didn't answer for a moment, but I did not dare look at her. I couldn't. I would go insane if I looked at her.

"Edward, for the love of Pete, you cannot tell me that you are upset by these two tiny bruises. You are completely overreacting if that is what you are upset about. You can barely see them! I didn't even know they were there." Her voice was shrill, almost angry.

I kept my hands in my face, still not able to look up at her. I didn't care how tiny the bruises were, or the fact that she had to look for them to see them. I could see them and that was all that mattered. I knew exactly how they got there and I would never forgive myself for marking her like that.

Her voice softened when she said, "Edward, really. I'm fine. What are a few small bruises? You know how easily I bruise. They don't hurt."

_I. DON'T. CARE. IF. THEY. HURT. OR. NOT. WE. ARE. DONE. _I was not going to allow her to placate me. This was a warning sign and she should heed it and be afraid.

Bella turned off the shower and knelt in front of me, prying my hands away from my face. I tried to resist, but was afraid she would break her nails trying to pry them off, so I released one, pinching the bridge of my nose with the other. I was not treating her fairly and as she wanted to be treated, I knew. I just could not imagine trying to be intimate with her again after seeing those two small dark points on her skin right where her thighs would have hit my hips. I was completely torn between my anger at myself, and my sorrow at having done this to Bella. I knew I had to say something to her. I tried not to sound angry or accusing when I finally spoke. "Bella, I am so sorry. I should not have done that yesterday. I hurt you. Why didn't you stop me?" I finally looked up into her eyes that were staring right at mine, waiting for me to look at her and I knew. _Because she won't stop me. Not even when I crush her pelvis or fracture her skull. She will just let me continue on so I can have 'my pleasure.' _

I watched her face closely for any sign of a lie when she spoke. Thank God Bella is a terrible liar. I would know immediately if what she said did not hold truth. "I didn't stop you because you weren't hurting me, Edward. I've looked much worse from running into things in my bedroom back home. I am thoroughly enjoying our love-making, Edward. I, um, I don't want it to stop because of something silly like this. It's nothing, Edward. Please stop worrying about it. Please?"

_She is telling the truth. And she is right, she has had much worse bruises before, but at my hands? No. _

"You are telling the truth aren't you," I said. My voice was foreign to me as I conceded to her. My mind was still clouded with my anger and sorrow, but here I was, giving in to her already, without so much as an argument.

She nodded at me and then added, "Yes, I'm telling the truth. I really don't want you worrying about this at all, Edward. Sometimes people get bruises when they are… having sex, even when both of them are human. You have done nothing wrong and nothing to be ashamed of."

I was beginning to wonder who was taking care of whom in this relationship. Bella is entirely too selfless and too ready to explain away any situation in which she has been caused pain. I continued watching her carefully. I knew that she was not going to let me get away with never touching her again for these two insignificant bruises, but I wasn't sure I was going to be able to forgive myself for causing them.

I knew I had to do something soon because the panic was rising in Bella. I heard her heart rate going up and I could see it on her face. The pulse in her neck was pounding. I had to try to reassure her. _Why can't I just be as selfless as Bella is and put my own insecurities aside for once?_

I finally was able to get my feet under me and stand up. I helped Bella up and then pulled her into an embrace. I buried my face in her wet hair and could not help saying, "I'm sorry, Bella."

Bella suddenly stepped back angrily and yelled at me, "Edward, Stop it!" Then she roared, "I. AM. NOT. HURT!" I realized that my sorry attempt to be selfless had turned into my own self-loathing once more. I reached up and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. She looked angrier than I had ever seen her and I knew that if I did not give in, it was not going to get better.

I finally resigned myself to it and said, "You win, Bella. I can tell that you are telling the truth and that you don't want me upset, so I will try not to be. I just don't like that I caused…"

Bella cut me off and yelled at me again.

"Edward! I told you to stop!"

I could have dealt with that, but then she said, "Please!"

I cannot deny Bella when she begs and pleads with me and I knew that the next 'please' was going to be the pleading one she uses when she wants to bend my will. She looked as though she were contemplating something when I looked back down at the bruises. I touched them lightly with my fingertips. She did not wince. "You are sure they don't hurt?"

She looked disgusted at first, and then her face changed to one of pure seductress. She peeked out at me from under her eyelashes with her expressive brown eyes and said in an extremely authoritative voice, "I am so sure, that we are going to turn on the water, and you are going to pick up where you left off. Your only other option is for us to go home so you can change me, and when I wake up, so help me, I'm going to kick you across the house!"

I was shocked. _She wants me to WHAT? Continue?? What if I bruise her again? What if I hurt her? What if I break bones? What if I get carried away and bite her? What if I kill her? _All of my old insecurities about being intimate with Bella raced back into my mind with a force much greater than they had been before, and Bella was not giving in. She stood there momentarily with her hands on her hips, looking as sexy as I had ever seen her. It wasn't long before I decided that I was definitely not going to win this one so I reached behind her and turned the water back on. I gave her the crooked smile that she loves to reassure her, and pulled her back into my embrace.

I held her while I was trying to beat away all of those insecurities that I had worked so hard to overcome. An epiphany came to me and I was so satisfied with it, that I was able to continue making love to Bella.

The epiphany was that this was a warning sign. I was getting too careless with Bella and I had to reel myself back in a little bit. I couldn't reel myself in as much as I wanted to because what I wanted was to stop making love to her at all until after her change. Bella would never forgive me for that and I wasn't too sure that I was strong enough to go back to the way things were before the wedding. The anticipation had been agony before, but what would it be like now? I had been to paradise between Bella's milky thighs. Was I strong enough to go back to a time when that was forbidden and would Bella even begin to be able to understand? It was as though her core called my name. Her arousal was a sweeter scent to me than her blood was now. I just didn't think I was strong enough for that so I pledged to myself that I would be more careful and not mark her like that again. Once I came to terms with that within my mind, I went back to what I had been doing when I saw those wretched bruises.

The monster was still firmly locked in his cage, but was now looking at me with his beady eyes shining, switching his tail back and forth. I ignored him. He wanted to tell me, _"I told you so," _but I would not allow it.

As I kissed my way back down her gorgeous body, I started thinking about something that I heard Emmett and Jasper talking about once. It was something about a certain spot in a woman's body that can make her scream in pleasure.

This thought was lost to me when my fingers reached the paradise I was seeking. Bella's lower lips were so swollen they pouted. They were literally dripping with juices. She moaned loudly when I parted them and her hands slammed back against the sides of the shower. When I flicked my tongue across her bundle of nerves, I growled in spite of all of the energy I was putting in to being cautious.

God love her, she spread her legs further apart allowing me greater access. There was no going back for either of us now. I silently prayed to a God that I still feared hated me that He would keep her safe from my strength, my teeth, and my venom as I pressed my fingers into her wetness.

When my fingers slid inside her, the conversation I had overheard between my brothers popped back into my mind and I remembered Emmett saying something about curling them towards the belly button, so I tried that. It seemed to work because I could feel every muscle in Bella's body start to clench. She was thrusting herself onto my fingers now and moaning with wild abandon. I couldn't help telling her how good she tasted. "Oh, Bella, sweet Bella, you taste scrumptious," I moaned against the apex of her cleft. Her body shuddered. I cupped my free hand around her bottom and caressed it gently, then let it wander up to her breast and rolled her peaked nipple between my thumb and forefinger.

My fingers, which were buried in her core, found an area that felt different from the rest. It was spongy and I gently massaged this area with the tips of my fingers. Bella's entire body clenched and she screamed my name. That was a sound that I would never grow tired of. Her hand reached into my hair and gripped it hard. Her knees collapsed and I supported her weight with my other arm. I continued swirling my tongue around her pleasure center and lapping up every bit of her juices that were pooling in my hand until her orgasm passed. She was trembling, both from the orgasm and because the water flowing over her was now ice cold.

When her spasms finally started to slow around my fingers, I pulled them from her and put them in my mouth. She was watching me do this, and I could have sworn it looked like she peaked again when I said, "Your juices taste better than any blood I have ever tasted, including yours." I couldn't believe I had actually let the words come out of my mouth.

I laughed as I turned off the water. I was proud of myself for overcoming the bruise issue, and Bella was funny when she was cold. I grabbed a towel and started drying her off. Bella grabbed my hands, looked into my eyes for a moment, and said, "I love you, Edward. So much has changed in the last few days for us, and I love the physical intimacy we have been able to share. It's a whole new you."

I kissed her on the nose and had a huge smile plastered on my face as I pulled her out of the shower and continued to dry her off. I turned her around and followed the towel down her back placing soft kisses along her spine. She had desire emanating from every pore in her delicious body. I slipped the robe that was hanging on the back of the bathroom door on her and then quickly dried myself off. I started out of the bathroom and she grabbed my hand. When I turned back to her, she pulled my face to hers and licked my lips with her tongue. I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, kissing her all the way. I stopped next to the stove and stood next to it so she could get warm. I was becoming extremely aroused again as I kissed her neck and slid my lips across her collarbone.

"Do we really have to go to Paris today, Edward? I would much rather stay in."

_No, love. We should stay here today and I should worship your body for the entire day. I should bury my face between your thighs and bring you to orgasm after orgasm until you beg and plead with me to stop…_

"Unfortunately, yes, love, we do. I don't want Jane and Demetri tracking us here."

The truth of my words stung me as much as they stung her. I was actually a little surprised that those were the actual words that came out of my mouth considering the thoughts that were permeating my mind. Then I was surprised again at the words Bella said, as though she were echoing my thoughts.

"Oh. "Well, you had better stop doing that then or I am afraid I won't be in any condition to go."

"Did you enjoy yourself in the shower, love?"

"Mmmmm. Yes, I did. I think I would like to return the favor though," she said coyly. The monster, who had remained extremely quiet for some time, jumped for joy in his cage. I ignored him again. It had worked thus far.

I chuckled as I asked her, "Will you ever get enough, love?" Her statement had sounded rather enticing, but I tried to maintain my composure as my imagination started drawing me mental pictures of just how she might be planning to return the favor.

She looked into my eyes and said, "No. I don't think I will," sounding as serious as she could.

That made me laugh aloud and I said, "I'm glad to hear that, angel, and I have a theory about that, but we will have to test it out at a later date. And by the way, I enjoyed myself as well, and I'm not sure that I will ever get enough either. I, too, am immensely enjoying the intimacy that we have been able to share. I only wish we had been able to stay at the chateau longer." I was thinking about my plot to spend two weeks doing nothing but making love and I felt a strange burn in the pit of my stomach when I thought about it.

I placed her in the chair close to the stove and left her there to dress. I put Bella's suitcase out for her as well. When I finished dressing, I put away my suitcase, and sat on the edge of the bed to wait for her. As she picked her way carefully across the room to her suitcase, I decided the appropriate thing for me to do was to apologize for overreacting earlier. "Bella," I said softly, "I'm sorry that I overreacted this morning. I was…scared." It was horrible for me to have to admit that to her, but it was the truth.

She smiled at me as she went through her suitcase and said, "I understand, Edward. I'm sorry that I got angry with you. I know you don't like ultimatums." Guilt flashed across her face before her smile came back, but I decided that enough had been said about the issue and I was dropping it.

I was fascinated as I watched her choose her outfit and dress. It amazed me how thoughtful she was as she looked at each item in her suitcase, assessing what she should wear. I knew that she was trying to wear something that was comfortable for her, but would look nice to me. I wanted to tell her that I thought a flour sack would look nice on her, but wasn't sure she was old enough to know what I was talking about. Instead, I just watched in silence. She didn't try to hide from me at all and didn't ask me to turn around like she used to. It was as though she suddenly felt natural being naked in front of me and that pleased me. I didn't want her to be so self-conscious forever, especially since I enjoyed the sight of her naked so much.

While driving into town, neither of us spoke for a long while. Bella watched out the windows as we sped along. I could see that she was deep in thought about something so I took her hand and asked, "What's on your mind, Bella?"

When she said, "I'm just thinking about how very happy I am right now," my dead heart soared. All I wanted was for my Bella to be happy.

I responded by saying, "I am pleased to hear that, love. I am very happy as well." No moment would ever be quite as perfect as this one.

We arrived at our destination and Bella gasped at the large glass pyramid in front of the Louvre. She ogled it as we drove by and I turned into the parking area that I found nearby. Bella giggled when I pulled out the large umbrella from the backseat of the car. I knew that she had surmised that I was going to use it to keep the sun off me, but would pretend that I was keeping the sun off her. I didn't care. I couldn't wait to take Bella through the museum.

I could tell it was going to be an amazing experience for both of us when we started down through the huge museum. I knew that we would not be able to see it all in the few hours we had, but I was determined to get a good start on it.

I regaled Bella with history about the museum itself along with the great works of art that we saw. I ran through my mind, choosing my favorite pieces, and led her to them.

Bella's eyes were wide with wonderment, trying to take it all in. She asked me questions occasionally, but mostly listened. I knew she was trying to remember everything I told her, but would not.

While we walked and looked at all of the priceless works of art splayed out before us, I kept my mind busy searching the minds of everyone around us in the museum, waiting to hear the two that I was looking for. I deeply hoped that they would not confront us inside, but didn't think either of them had the patience to wait. I briefly thought about calling Alice to find out for sure when we would see them, but decided against it. We were ready for them whenever they decided to pop up. I needed Bella to be truly surprised and afraid for our plan to work as it should anyway.

I saved the da Vinci pieces for last. We saw The Virgin of the Rocks and Bella asked many questions about it. She really seemed to like it but when we got to The Mona Lisa, Bella was quietly contemplative. She looked at it for a long time as many people do who are seeing it for the first time. I was curious what she was thinking, but did not ask. She would tell me. The only thing she did say while we stood looking at the painting was, "It's so small." I nodded. It was small compared to some of da Vinci's other pieces. I had always noticed, while in the Louvre, that most other people thought the same thing when seeing it for the first time.

When Bella was ready to move on, she squeezed my hand as we walked away. Then she whispered, "I know what she is smiling about." I was very curious as to what she thought because, of course, this is what everyone tries to figure out when they see her.

"Oh? Do tell, love?" I was dying to hear her theory.

She stood up on her toes and whispered in my ear very softly, "Her lover is a vampire."

I laughed loudly. Several people turned to look at us. Most of their thoughts were benign.

All day long I had heard a lot of, "Oh look at that couple, isn't she beautiful?" and "Oh what a handsome couple they are," and "Isn't that sweet the way he is leading her around and telling her all about the art? He must be an art history buff, he certainly knows a lot about the pieces here and the history of the museum." There were also the occasional, "lucky guy" and "lucky girl" comments.

After I laughed there were a few thoughts that came my way saying, "Doesn't he have any manners?" and "Why is he disturbing us?"

I couldn't help it. Bella was so funny. I could see, however, that she was rather embarrassed by all the attention so I hugged her and removed her from the gallery into the hallway. I decided to have some fun with her theory so I asked, "Do you really think that is it, Bella? Perhaps we should find the curator and run your theory past him. This is probably one that he has not heard before." I tried to maintain a serious tone but Bella giggled at my joke.

"I don't think so Edward, somehow I don't know that he would find the humor in it."

I was grinning madly when I said, "He might, you never know."

I was deep in thought about how happy Bella and I had been these last days and congratulating myself for finding her when we stepped out of the museum into the clouds and rain. I opened the umbrella to keep the rain off Bella and was leading her back to the car when a voice in my mind said, "There they are."

"FUCK!"

I felt Bella jump next to me when I said it and I immediately regretted it. Bella had not heard me say that word before and I didn't want her to think that I was alarmed. It was too late though because I could feel the fear welling inside her already and smell the adrenaline pumping into her blood. Her eyes followed my gaze across the street to where Jane and Demetri stood watching us.

I knew that I should not ignore them because they weren't going away so I immediately turned our path towards them. Bella felt like she had cement blocks on her feet as she walked along beside me. I whispered to her, "I might as well let them know I know they are here or they will just follow us. Don't worry, love. Remember, they only want to know our plans."

Bella squeezed my hand and I could feel her shaking. I was concerned that she might hyperventilate, but I heard her consciously slowing her breathing and knew she was going to be all right.

I did not hurry towards them, nor did I walk too slowly. I didn't want them to think that I was concerned in the slightest about their visit. I hoped that they would think that I thought we had just run into each other, but their thoughts gave them away. They knew that I would already know they were coming. Of course, they knew about Alice.

As I approached them, I nodded my head towards each of them and addressed them. "Jane, Demetri." I plastered a faint smile on my face for effect. "What brings you two to Paris?"

Before Jane began to speak, her mind spoke for her, "_You know damn well why we are here." _Her words were more casual though.

"Well, Edward, odd that you would ask. I assumed you already knew that _you_ brought us to Paris." _"The little tramp is still HUMAN I see."_

I tried to ignore the scathing thoughts that she was having and the awful things she was saying about Bella in her mind. I kept my tone as even as I could when I answered her. "Well, yes Jane, I had heard that you might be visiting us here, I was just curious as to precisely _why _you are gracing us with your presence."

"_Oh, so the little fortune teller didn't know why we were coming, just that we were. Well, that levels the playing field a bit. Hmmm."_

I wasn't getting much from Demetri. His thoughts centered on the fact that he had only come along to keep Jane in line and to assist her in finding us. He was also thinking about where to hunt on their way home because he was thirsty and being in the city during the day was not helping. His mind was full of the scent of all the humans that were close, one of them being Bella's. I was pleased that he was this uninterested in the whole affair, though I didn't care for him inhaling my wife's scent.

Jane finally spoke again saying, "We are simply checking in with you. We felt obligated to do so since you were so close. I see that your mate is still human." Her eyes bored into Bella for a moment before returning to me and she finished with, "I would have thought you would have taken care of this by now."

The words that Jane spoke did not bother me nearly as much as what she was thinking. _"I wonder if he is just toying with her, or toying with us. What on earth could he see in this plain little child? He is far too handsome and talented to be wasting his time. If only he would listen to reason."_

I didn't take my eyes off her. She knew I could read her mind and I was sure that she was thinking things like this deliberately to try to provoke me. I decided that I was not going to address her thoughts and give her the satisfaction of knowing that they were bothering me. Instead, I said, "Bella and I are on our honeymoon. I simply wanted to show her a few things beforehand. It will be quite some time before we are able to be out in public like this again."

Demetri finally entered the conversation, but only with the vampires in the group. He looked at Jane and said to her at vampire speed, "Jane, can't you see that he is telling the truth. This is no time and no place for you to lose your temper. Our orders were clear; find out their intentions and leave. We are not to bother them. Now finish this up and let's be on our way."

Jane was obviously not pleased at Demetri defending our position. Her thoughts betrayed her as she looked back at us. _"This is ridiculous. We should just take them back to Volterra right now and turn her for him, or better yet, maybe we should just have her for supper. He obviously is not strong enough to change her or he would have done it already. Maybe he will kill her. That's what he should do anyway. I don't know why we were told to leave her. It's preposterous to let her continue walking the earth with the knowledge she has about us."_

Demetri's thoughts were on the other side of the coin completely. _"I knew that I should not have agreed to come with her. She is too anxious for torture and death. She wants to kill that girl for her own satisfaction and her own reasons. The only consolation I have is that she was ordered to do exactly what I am telling her she has to do and she will have to answer to Aro and Caius if she does not."_

When Jane spoke again, her voice was full of anger even though she was trying to hide it. "I assume that means the time is soon then?"

_Why did it have to be her? Couldn't it have been anyone else but her? _"Yes actually, we are headed home tomorrow."

"Back to Nice?" _"Perhaps we can go along and oversee this operation after all."_

"No, to Forks. We will not be back to Nice for a long time. Why do you ask?" _You murderous slimy excuse for a vampire._

Jane was fuming. Her mind was practically screaming at me calling us names. I wanted to rip her apart but knew that would not further our cause, so I tried to ignore the onslaught that I was getting from her. I knew the fact that I was not addressing Jane's thoughts was infuriating her so I thought it best to keep this up.

Demetri spoke next since Jane seemed close to spontaneous combustion and said, "Jane is asking because it was thought that you would take your bride to your home in Nice to change her if you had not already done so. Aro and Caius are quite interested in how she is going to turn out, as you know, and would like a couple of delegates to oversee her transformation since it was presumed it would take place so close to us."

_Over my dead, dismembered, and burnt body._

Now Bella spoke. She was perfect when she said, "No one is going to oversee my transformation but Edward and the rest of our family. I am not going to have total strangers there gawking at me."

I was so proud of her. She had spoken directly to Demetri who took in each of her words and did not try to contradict them either in voice or thought. At the end of her speech, Bella had looked directly at Jane to make sure that they both got the point.

Jane was uncontrollably angry and her mind continued vomiting out horrible thoughts about Bella, 'Carlisle's Coven', and me.

I squeezed Bella's hand to let her know she did well and said, "Bella and I have discussed this at length with the family and we all feel that this is best for all of us. I hope this will not inconvenience anyone. I wasn't aware that we were to have chaperones present. I don't recall that being part of the original bargain. Is this something that I need to be concerned with, or can we all agree that it will not be necessary for any member of the Volturi to trouble themselves with being present for Bella's change?"

Demetri's thoughts were all in agreement with my words. He seemed to feel that I was a man of my word and that when the time came, we would do what we were supposed to do. I was mildly curious about the Volturi's most talented tracker. He seemed to be a person of some integrity at least.

Jane, on the other hand, was even angrier now than she had been before, if that was possible. I was curious if I should call the fire brigade when she erupted into flames or just let the crowd gather and watch her burn. She was running the statements we had made quickly through her mind trying to find a loophole. Demetri was looking at her with contempt as she stood there with her face twisted up into rage. I could see that she was not going to find a way around this and still be able to follow the orders she had been given in Volterra. When she finally spoke, she spoke words that were resigned in nature, but her mind spoke volumes about how she really felt.

"You seem to have thought of everything. Be sure that it does not take you too long to complete this task, Edward. I would not want things to become _unpleasant_ for you and your _bride_ so soon after your nuptials. I will report that the change is imminent and that you desire no interference from us. You will need to make sure that you bring your wife around to visit as soon afterwards as possible. Aro and Caius desire to meet her again, and I am sure the rest of us will want to assess her abilities as well." _"And we will just SEE if she can still resist my powers once she is one of us," _she added with her mind.

I was through talking to them. We had said what we came to say, and I wanted to get on with my honeymoon. Listening to Jane's vicious attacks on my wife within her mind was driving me into a rage that I did not want Bella to see and could not happen in public like this.

I attempted to end our conversation by saying, "We will keep that in mind. Since your visit is not merely a social one, I believe that Bella and I will be going now. Thank you for your _concern_ about our well-being." I watched the two of them carefully as I said this. I knew that it would not be received well, particularly since I was unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. Demetri looked irked for the first time since we had been talking. Jane was struggling within herself not to throw the full force of her power on me and let it take me over until either I died or she collapsed.

While I was concentrating on whether or not I should prepare to fight, Bella spoke up and said, "Yes, thank you, Jane and Demetri, for stopping by to see us. I hope that you enjoy your time in Paris as much as I have enjoyed ours." Bella's words had sounded very sincere. Her soft voice did not shake or show any signs of her distress.

Demetri's thoughts were actually very complementary of her, _"She is a pleasant girl at least."_

Jane's thoughts were murderous. I wanted to laugh aloud. Instead, I did a very human thing, and extended my hand to Demetri's and shook it. I looked him in the eye, ignoring Jane completely, and said, "Until we meet again."

Demetri gripped my hand strongly and said, "Yes, until we meet again." _On better terms in the future, I hope._

I turned to Jane and extended my hand to her as well. I held my laughter in as she shook it with only her thumb and forefinger as though she were going to get sick from it. Her thoughts were not any more pleasant than they had been all along.

"_What does he think he is doing? He is hanging around with that human so much that he is under the delusion that he is human as well. Perhaps we should kill him and take her with us rather than the other way around."_

I put my hand on Bella's back and turned her around. I was glad that I could read their thoughts or I would never have turned our backs to them. I walked Bella to the car at an even pace. I did not want to give them impression that we were running, but I certainly did not want them to think that I wanted to stay to chat any longer. I listened to them intently as we walked away.

Demetri said, "It is time for us to depart, Jane."

"What does he _see_ in that wretched human?"

"It is not our business. Let us be on our way."

"Fine. We shall be on our way, but I guarantee this is not the last time we will have to track those two down. Did you get all you needed to track them?"

"Yes, Jane. If I need to track them again, rest assured that I will be able to find them without difficulty."

"Could you read the girl?"

"No, but she never leaves his side. Reading her may be different once she is changed. You know that."

"I don't trust them. I think we should follow."

"Jane, Aro and Caius expect us to return tomorrow with a report of our encounter. Their request was not for us to follow them unless we were unable to speak with them. Now, we must depart. I shall have to have a snack soon if we do not get out of the city now."

I opened Bella's door and let her get in. I was amazed at how calm she had been throughout this ordeal. I knew that she had been terrified, but she had kept her composure so well. Apparently, she could only keep it so long because she broke down and was sobbing into her hands by the time I got into the car. I reached for her and held her trying to comfort her. Her crying was tearing me apart. If it were not for me, she would not have to endure such things.

She finally looked up at me and she had tears streaming down her face. Her cheeks were flushed and I mentally noted that she still felt like she was on fire, just as she had before at the cottage. I dismissed it, but it lingered in my mind that she felt warmer than she usually did. I tried to write it off to all the excitement from the last few days but it still nagged at me that she felt so warm the last day or so.

She bit her lip and then told me, "I was so…scared Edward, just so scared."

I wondered if she knew how sexy it was when she bit her lip like that, but I refrained from comment. She was upset and did not need me acting like Emmett right now.

"I told you that no one was going to hurt you Bella, you need to trust me. You are fine and they are satisfied that we were truthful with them." _At least one of them was… _"I told you that all they were looking for was to find out our plans. Let's just go back to the cottage and rest for the night, all right?"

I felt no need to tell Bella all the detestable things that Jane had been thinking during our encounter. This would only upset her further. I hoped she would not ask me about it because I did not want to lie to her. I did decide that I was going to discuss Jane's behavior with Carlisle though. I felt that it was important for him to know about it, but not my precious Bella.

Bella nodded and I released her so I could drive us back to the cottage. She seemed to be retaining her calm and the tears slowly stopped. I saw her close her eyes when she leaned her head back. She was breathing deeply and I could tell the fear and anxiety was leaving her body.

"Edward, I would like to call Alice please."

I handed her my phone. This seemed like a completely appropriate request on her part. I wanted to thank Alice as well. I listened in as Alice answered the phone before it rang.

"Bella! I knew you would be okay! Aren't you glad that is over with? How is Paris?"

"Paris is wonderful, Alice. Thank you so much for your help. I never would have made it through had I thought that you would not contact us immediately if something had changed."

"It's what I do, Bella. I would do anything to protect you from harm, just like Edward would. I love you too, you know."

"I know, Alice, and I love you. I'm anxious to see you and tell you all about Paris, but then I'm sure you already know."

"I can't wait to hear it from you though, Bella! Oh! You are flying home tomorrow. I will be in Seattle at the airport to pick you up."

I motioned for Bella to hand me the phone when she was finished just as she said, "Oh, thank you, Alice. Edward would like to speak to you."

"Okay, Bella. See you tomorrow!"

I took the phone from Bella and placed it against my ear.

"Edward, she can't hear me can she?"

"No."

"Jane and Demetri are still arguing about whether to follow you. Their course keeps changing between going to Volterra and winding up at the cottage."

"I see." Bella was glaring at me now.

"Right now they are headed back to Volterra. I will watch their progress until I am sure."

"Thank you, Alice. You know what gate we will be arriving at?"

"Yes, Edward. I will call or text if something changes."

"Ciao, and thanks for everything."

"You're welcome. Bye, Edward."

Bella looked at me questioningly and I said, "Jane still wants to follow us. Demetri has her convinced to go back to Volterra at this point in time. Alice will call if it changes." There was a time when I would have lied to her and not thought twice about it, but somehow, I just couldn't do it. I felt as compelled to tell her the truth as I did to protect her. She took my hand. I caressed it, and could feel her overwhelming love for me in her touch.

"I'm not afraid, Edward. Even if they follow us, I will not be afraid as long as you are with me."

I patted her hand and laced my fingers in hers. "I'm happy to hear that, love." I was never so happy to be with Bella as I was right then. I could not wait to spend forever with her, even with the consequence of what forever meant.

**END NOTE: If you liked it let me know!!! Thank you Lillie Cullen Goddess of Beta's and...other things! If you haven't read Lillie's stories, check her out because she is AWESOME!**


	12. Chapter 12 Dessert

**_A/N: Thank you for all of the lovely reviews! They are SO addicting! I want more! This chapter is titled "Dessert" for more than one reason! You will see why! I might add a LEMON WARNING for this one as well. You know...they are still on their honeymoon and all. I want to make sure they... never mind! I can't tell all my secrets! I hope you like the way the chapter ends!_**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight, but Edward has taken up residence in my head! :)

* * *

**Edward**

I carried Bella inside when we reached the cottage. I didn't want there to be a moment that I didn't have her next to me tonight. As soon as we were inside, I put her down and asked quietly, "Are you awake, love?" Her response astounded me as she reached her arms around my neck, captured my lips, and kissed me passionately. Her tongue caressed my lips and sent bolts of lightening through me.

I led her to the couch and motioned for her to sit. Her face was full of curiosity as I moved in front of her. I placed my hands on the back of the couch, one on each side of her head, and stared into her eyes. I longed for a way to tell Bella just how much I loved her. The love I felt was growing exponentially every day and it was so deep and overwhelming, it threatened to take over my entire being. I welcomed it. Each day since Bella had married me, I felt like less of a monster and more of a man, except when I had noticed those two tiny bruises on her thighs. I pushed those out of my mind's eye and longed for our time together to never end. I was not looking forward to returning to Forks. I wanted to live in the fantasy world that Bella and I were creating forever. Deep in my mind, I knew that this was impossible, but I had not had dreams, daydreams or otherwise, for so long, that I did not want it to end.

My love for Bella was enhanced by my desire for her. Her scent was so intoxicating to me and I inhaled deeply, smelling her blood, her breath, her hair, and her arousal all mixed together. I wanted to memorize everything about her right now because she seemed so content and happy, more so than I had ever seen her. I wished there were some way for me to keep her just like this. I wondered, with her current state of contentment, if I could talk her out of immortal life. I knew that we could not hide from the Volturi forever, but I would certainly try if Bella would allow it.

My emotions regarding Bella's impending transformation were becoming more mixed up by the minute. I loved the changes that were taking place in her. She was becoming bolder and she was standing up for herself, and insisting upon being the wife that I needed her to be. No one else could hold me to things like Bella could. No one else could force my honesty like Bella could, and no one else could stir the human side of me up like Bella could. I stood there, staring into her eyes, pondering all of this, when I was snatched back to the moment by Bella unbuttoning my shirt. _Temptress._

I stopped her and said, 'Not now, love."

When she cocked her head to the side and looked up at me seductively, I almost changed my mind. I kissed her forehead, nose, and lips, and then said, "I am going to fix you dinner and feed it to you, and then I am going to have you for dessert. How does that sound?"

When she licked her lips, it occurred to me that some people have dessert first, but I knew Bella was hungry so I stood up rather quickly to detract myself from the temptation to jump her. I tossed her the remote saying, "I have to fix you food first, love." I backed into the kitchen, not wanting to avert my eyes from her for one precious second.

I busied myself with warming up the lamb chops that the housekeeper had left for us. I was sure that this had been Alice's idea. Lamb, new potatoes, and fresh cut green beans were on the menu. It all smelled oddly terrible to me, but I knew that this was a meal fit for a queen and Bella was my queen.

I was listening to Casablanca start on the television when my cell phone buzzed in my pocket. I snatched it out quickly and answered quietly. If it was Alice with bad news, I wanted to prepare myself before I had to tell Bella.

"Eddie!" _Great…it's Emmett. What could he want?_

"Hello, Emmett. To what do I owe this displeasure?"

"What? You aren't overjoyed to hear your brother's voice?"

"Well, considering the last time we spoke I was planning your murder, which could be fun…"

"Oh come on, Edward! Lighten up! Geez!"

"I thought I was being light?"

"Come to think of it, you did make a couple of jokes…are you sick?"

"No, I'm not sick. I am just…I don't know what I am right now. What's going on?"

"Not much really. Well, actually, since you asked…Rose is really pissed off at me 'cause I beat her at a rousing game of naked Twister and she didn't like my 'winner's demand'."

"Do I want to hear this Emmett? Is this really why you called? I am really a bit on the busy side right now."

"Why Eddie? You playin' naked Twister too?"

"No, Emmett, we are not playing naked Twister. I am fixing Bella's supper, if it is any of your business."

"Oh, that doesn't sound very honey-moony."

"Emmett? Did you have a purpose in calling besides annoying me?"

"Uh….oh yeah, you asked what was going on, so anyway, Jasper hit a great stock today, thanks to our little sis Ally, and made us a pile of money, so Ally and Rose want to go shopping to celebrate, and Carlisle is working overtime at the hospital 'cause they have been really busy lately, and Esme is working away on some interior decorating project that she won't tell me about, and…"

"Emmett? You are annoying me again."

"Oh, sorry Eddie. I called 'cause Alice told me to tell you that they went back to Volterra and uh, Demetri won."

"She told _you_ to tell me this?"

"Yeah, well, she had to go take care of something or another and told me to tell you. Well, I was the only one here at the time so, I guess that's why. I would have volunteered anyway since Rose is pissed and all. I'm pretty sure I won't be getting any for awhile."

"Thank you, Emmett. Will there be anything else?"

"Uh, no, I guess not."

"Fine. Thank you for delivering the message so eloquently and with such style. May I please go back to fixing my wife some supper now? She is extremely hungry."

"Oh, yeah man, sorry. I'm just bored, you know?"

"Sorry to hear that, Emmett. We will see you when we get home."

"Yeah, okay, see you then."

I hung up before he could say anything else idiotic. What was with that guy? He was acting weird. I decided that maybe I was acting weird and shrugged it off.

"Bella?"

"Yes? Is it almost done? I'm starving!"

"I know you are, love, I'm sorry. I will be done shortly. I just wanted you to know that Emmett just called to say that Alice said they went back to Volterra. We don't have to worry about them showing up here tonight."

"Oh, that's a relief!"

"Yes, I thought you would be pleased, love. I'll be out with your dinner in just a few minutes."

"Okay. It sure smells good."

I smiled. That was music to my ears, considering I was a vampire that should not be cooking human food. Then again, I would do anything for my lovely Bella.

Bella was still watching Casablanca and Sam started playing "As Time Goes By" so I idly began singing along as I finished preparing the meal. I found some fresh fruit in the refrigerator and put some in a bowl. I also found a tray that I could place everything on to take to her and was pleased with my efforts. "You must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh…"

I heard Bella moving around but did not pay much attention to what she was doing. She probably needed some human time in the bathroom at this point in the day so I just continued with my preparations. "…And when two lovers woo, they still say, I love you. On that you can rely…" I plated her food and put it on the tray. I looked the tray over and decided that Bella needed water and got a glass to put on the tray. "…Woman needs man, and man must have his mate. That no one can deny…"

I was so engrossed in what I was doing, that I did not hear the song end, so I was still singing. I was about to pick up the tray when Bella cleared her throat in the doorway.

She had actually startled me and I spun around quickly to see if something was wrong. When I saw her, I immediately stopped breathing. The burn in my throat was so great at the sight of her standing there that I almost turned and ran out the back door.

My innocent, lovely, enticing little Bella stood there before me in a white corset with lace panties, thigh high stockings attached to the garter straps on the corset, and white high-heeled sandals. She had a robe on, but she had let it drop open for me to see what she was wearing.

I got the burn in my throat under control and shoved the monster in my head back into his cage before I said, "Oh my God, Bella, you look good enough to eat!" I immediately regretted this comment thinking that I had given my sudden thirst at the sight of her away and even though she laughed I immediately said, "Oh Bella, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"I know what you meant, Edward."

Then, as if all of this wasn't enough, she started batting her eyelashes at me. I wasted no more time getting to her. I was across the kitchen in a fraction of a second, pulling her into my arms and kissing her. I inhaled her scent and noticed that she had somehow enhanced it. _Perfume? That smells like Bella?_ I moaned unintentionally, stepped away from her, and said, "Let's get you fed, love. I can't wait for dessert."

I couldn't help but notice how accomplished Bella was getting with the seduction because when I followed her to the living room, she slowly let the robe slide off her shoulders to the floor before she turned around to sit down. When she sat, she didn't just sit down like a lady and wait for her dinner. Oh no, she couldn't do that. She had to position herself on the couch with one leg stretched out along the back of the couch and the other one with her foot on the floor so that her legs were spread wide. The aroma of her arousal filled the room.

I determined immediately that this was going to be a difficult night for me, but I was going to make her efforts worthwhile. This little bit of temptation was not going to go wasted on my petty insecurities.

I scooted in between her legs so that I was almost touching the crotch of her lace panties with my hip and said, "You are so perfect, Bella, so enticing and lovely, but I want you to eat, love." I started feeding her dinner to her, marveling at her perfect pink lips each time she took a bite. While she chewed her meat, I took her hand and kissed my way up her arm to her shoulder, starting at her wrist, then the crook of her elbow, then her neck, and then her lips. She was smiling quite demurely.

The thought materialized in my brain somewhere that every single move she was making was an attempt to seduce me and cause me to lose control. Even when she drained her glass of water, licked her lips, and said, "Yes, Edward, I'm thirsty," it was simply another attempt at seducing me.

"Are you enjoying your dinner, love?"

"Yes, what is it? I can't put my finger on the exact flavor of the meat, but it is so succulent."

"It's lamb."

"Mmmmmm, I guess I like lamb then."

I smiled. _Yes, love, I guess you do._

I placed a grape in her mouth and she chewed it slowly, never taking her eyes off me. The beast in my mind was screaming to be released from his cage, but I shoved the cage back further and mentally told him to shut his pie hole. Bella was not trying to seduce him, she was trying to seduce me, and doing a damn fine job of it. I hopped up and dashed to the kitchen to get her some more water and when I handed it to her, she drained the glass again. It occurred to me that she seemed more thirsty than normal. I thought back to when she had last had water today, and decided it had probably just been too long. When she handed it back to me, she said, "I'm ready for dessert, Edward." _Oh my God._ I was never going to be able to hide the erection that was straining within my pants to get out.

I reprimanded myself for creating this temptress that was driving me insane as I hurriedly took the tray back to the kitchen and practically threw it onto the counter before rushing back to the living room. When I returned, she had her head back on the arm of the couch and it didn't look very comfortable for her, though I knew what she was doing. She was exposing her neck to me to entice me further. I stifled the growl that tried to escape from my throat and ran full speed into the bedroom to snatch a pillow off the bed.

Upon my return to the living area, I placed the pillow gently under her head, and resumed my position between her legs. I gently ran my hands up and down her body, gazing into her expressive brown eyes. I hesitated when I reached her hips and massaged them gently before slowly moving down to her knees, then back up to her thighs. Her eyes had fallen closed, but fluttered open when I paused there and lightly traced circles on her skin just above the stockings. This look was not a look of checking to see if I was losing control though. This look was one of checking to make sure I was losing control.

I touched the edges of her panties with both thumbs and her body arched towards me. I was mesmerized by how beautiful she was lying there. Every movement she made, every breath she took seemed to be orchestrated by my touch. She watched me as I leaned forward to kiss her belly. I was afraid to kiss her mouth or neck right now. I felt weak with desire to bite her neck and taste her blood.

I caressed her breasts and looked up into her eyes again. She was still watching me. I could not even think of anything but how much I loved her and wanted her. Still, I was afraid to kiss her lips or neck. I still had a burning desire to bite her right now, and kissing her there would be dangerous. I embarked upon a different course and went back to her belly, then lowered my mouth to kiss her swollen lips through her panties.

I was aware that I was not in control of myself as I kissed and licked her. I was inhaling her scent as deeply as I could and knew that I was crossing into dangerous territory getting this carried away with myself. Her hips were squirming under my attention to her nether region and I looked up at her to ask, "Do you like that, love?"

Her head bobbed up and down while she said, "Oh yes, Edward. I do, I really do."

I was pleased that my prey was enjoying what I was doing. When the word prey ran through my head, I briefly thought, _Bella you idiot. She is not your prey. She is your wife._ It was as though I were two separate beings. I knew that Bella was my wife and that I desperately needed to make love to her, but I was also a predator and desperately needed her in other ways. The monster was sulking in his cage, but I knew that the predator part of me was being controlled by him as though I were a puppet on a string.

When my finger slipped under the seam of her panties I said aloud, "Mmmmmm, Bella, you are so wet, so hot…" I wasn't sure if this statement was for her benefit or mine. I needed to hear myself say her name aloud to remind me that I was not here to kill her, I was here to love her.

She closed her eyes and let her head fall back again. _Stupid girl._ Her back arched and I heard a chuckle escape my lips. There must have been some part of me that was in control of my instincts, though I didn't know what part. I was consumed with instinctual lust at that moment, and it was not necessarily a good kind of lust.

I was struggling to stop the thoughts coming from my predatory side and knew that I was fighting an uphill battle. I had an idea, and in retrospect, I'm not sure if it was one that the monster implanted in me, or if my human side thought of it, but nonetheless, I acted upon it. I stopped what I was doing and sat up to get her attention. Her eyes opened immediately. I said, "Bella, love, do you trust me?"

Both parts of me knew, of course, what she would say and when the single word, "Implicitly," left her lips the 'stupid girl' statement ran through my mind again, but I doused it quickly.

"Are you sure you trust me, love?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Edward," she breathed.

This slight pause in the action made me feel as though I was back in control of myself, so I undid the garters, pulled off her panties, and reattached the garters to her stockings as quickly as possible. I traced around her belly button with my finger and said, "I want you on your knees, Bella, over the back of the couch."

She hesitated. This had not been in her plans. I was sure now that she was trying to entice me to bite her, which made me even more determined not to. Rational thought caught hold of me and I wondered if she was not really trying to get me to bite her and just didn't want to do this. I still wasn't sure that I could resist her blood if I were to make love to her face to face right now. I tried to reassure her, or myself, by saying, "Unless you don't want to, love. I won't do anything that you don't want me to."

Her voice was hesitant when she said, "No, I want you to do whatever you feel like, I was just, I don't know…" Then she blushed a lovely deep red and moved herself into position. She was embarrassed. I turned off the television to douse the light, hoping this would help and I heard a sigh of relief. _Good, _I thought wickedly.

I started with my fingers in her folds and then blew my icy breath on her swollen lips. She was gasping and trembling under my touch. He scent was so strong I could not resist plunging my tongue into her. She was so wet that I had to work to get all of her precious nectar into my mouth. I moaned into her cleft, "Oh my God, Bella, you taste so good…" for the second time today.

I moved my tongue from her opening to her sensitive nub and back again. Each time my tongue entered her, she pushed back against it.

She was moaning and writhing with ecstasy. I determined that I was not going to wait any longer. I slipped my fingers inside her and stood so I could dispense with my clothing. I ripped my shirt, pants, and boxers off in one quick movement.

Finally free of the confines of my clothing, I moved in behind her and placed kisses on her spine in the small of her back. She was panting and practically squealed each time my lips touched her flesh. My fingers were languidly exploring her inner sanctum but I was resolute to have her so I slowly let them slip out of her and grasped her hips carefully. I checked the monster who was sitting on the outside of his cage in the recesses of my mind. I put him on ignore and returned my focus to the task at hand.

I placed my shaft at her entrance and squeezed her hips lightly as I entered her with my full length. She pushed herself backwards onto me and we both gasped. I was motionless for a moment feeling her wet warmth pulsate around me. I could not think of anything that had ever felt so good as to be joined with Bella as I was now.

I slowly began to thrust, removing myself almost completely from her each time I pulled back. Her walls clenched my hardness and I was immersed in ecstasy. Each of my thrusts were met by her own movements and as we fell into a rhythm we needed no music to harmonize our dance. Our tempo slowly increased until I knew that my climax was going to be inevitable. I didn't want to peak before Bella did, so I said, "Reach down and touch yourself, Bella. Can you touch yourself for me, love?"

To my surprise, she thrust her hand between her legs and grasped my length briefly before pulling her fingers across her swollen lips and onto her bundle of nerves, matching our cadence.

I almost came undone immediately but willed myself to hold back. I ran my hands over her exquisite behind as I pumped into her as hard as I dared, but not nearly as hard as I wanted. I sensed her muscles start to clench before I actually felt them and when she slammed herself back into me and started screaming, "I'm, oh, Edward…Edward, I'm coming!" I lost all sense of myself.

I slammed into her harder than I had intended and she launched forward. I was so lost in my climax that I could not stop or think or do anything except let the waves of it pass through me like a category five hurricane. I screamed her name as I filled her up with my vampire ejaculate.

The instant I had some sense of myself back, I was appalled. "Oh my God, Bella, are you alright? Did I hurt you? Bella?"

I jumped up, hopped over the back of the couch, and lifted her up in one swift movement. She was gasping wildly and covered in sweat. Her arms were flailing around like she had no control of them and she was trying grab me. I was terrified now. I was running through all of my movements in my head and thinking back to medical school trying to decide what injuries I could have caused. _Fractured ribs, pelvis, hips, femurs…_

I yelled at her, "Bella? Bella?" I was frantic. Why hadn't Alice called and stopped me? Of course, if she had, I wouldn't have paid any attention to my phone buzzing in the shredded remains of my pants on the floor. I was too lost in sensation to know anything by the time Alice would have called.

Bella's head dropped against my shoulder and I shuddered thinking she had passed out from pain. I heard her faint voice say, "I'm fine, Edward. Please stop yelling." Relief washed through me for Bella and anger for myself.

I picked her completely up now and stroked her hair. My voice was shaking when I whispered, "Oh Bella, I was so scared. I was sure I had hurt you. I'm so sorry. If I had let you face me you would have seen it coming and you would have stopped me. I'm sorry, Bella." I wished more than anything that while I stood there and cried for my mistake that I could have tears so she could see how sorry I was.

Bella searched out my face and said, "No, Edward, I would not have stopped you. I knew you were not going to hurt me. You can't. Your desire to keep me safe protects me from you, Edward. Don't you see? You will not hurt me, Edward. I am fine, just, completely satisfied." She laid her head in the crook of my neck and sighed. Her body was still trembling. I ran into the bedroom and yanked a blanket off the bed to cover her up. I sat down on the edge of the bed to hold and rock her. Her hand was gently caressing my side and I laid my head against hers.

I debated telling her how much I had actually wanted to bite her, to taste her blood on my lips. I wondered if I should tell her just how out of control I really was tonight, and if I should tell her the real reason that I wanted to take her from behind. Then the light came on and I replayed her words in my mind. It occurred to me that she might be right. It occurred to me that I could not hurt her. There was some part of my psyche that was so much in control that it let the rest of me get totally out of control while protecting her from me at the same time. I mulled on this for awhile while I listened to Bella's breathing and heart rate slowly return to normal. She was becoming so relaxed that I thought she may have fallen asleep so I put her into the bed. Her hands reached for me so I crawled in next to her and she snuggled up next to me. She traced her fingers down my chest and whispered, "I love you, Edward, so much."

I kissed the top of her head and said, "I love you too, sweet Bella." I pulled the covers up over her and started humming while I contemplated what had just happened.

I felt the bliss radiating from Bella's warm body as she drifted off to sleep in my arms. Her bliss and mine combined within me and I settled in for the night to watch lovely Bella sleep. There was no place else I wanted or needed to be right now except right here with her.

***************

**Bella**

I drifted into the land between wakefulness and sleep as Edward's beautiful voice hummed. I never wanted to leave. I wanted to stay right here, in his arms, just like this forever. I was saddened by the thought that we would return to Forks in the morning, but knew it was necessary.

Initially, I fell asleep without any difficulty. The ecstasy of our tryst had lulled me into a deep sleep. A few hours later, I woke up shaking and sweating. Edward was stroking my hair and said, "Bella, are you having a nightmare, love? What's wrong?"

"No, I don't think I had a nightmare." I tried to remember what had awakened me, but the only thing I could think of was how hot I was. I wondered how much wood Edward had thrown into the stove.

"Are you well, love? You felt warm all day."

I shook my head, "No, Edward. I don't think I am ill." I didn't feel particularly bad. I was a little achy, but I attributed it to all the walking and other strenuous activities I had participated in over the last days.

Edward continued stroking my hair. I snuggled up as close to him as I could to take away the heat I was feeling. His cool skin felt wonderful against mine and I fell back asleep.

I continued to be restless and awakened several more times. Edward asked me each time if I was okay, but I still didn't feel sick and I could not remember having any nightmares. Sometime early in the morning, I gave up and got out of bed. Edward was on his feet in a second and turned on the shower for me. He kissed me lightly and said, "I will have your breakfast waiting for you when you get done, love."

Upon completing my daily routine, I went to the kitchen and sat down to a wonderful French toast breakfast with fresh fruit and ham. Edward wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek. "I'm sorry you didn't sleep well, love."

"It's not your fault, Edward." I shrugged and continued, "It was just a restless night I guess." I dug into my breakfast as I was ravenous with hunger. Edward handed me a bowl of yogurt to go with my fruit and I devoured it. While I was still eating, Edward began to have an odd expression on his face. I was startled when he jumped out of his chair and sprinted out the back door. I jumped up and followed him, thinking something was wrong.

By the time I got out the door, I could not see Edward anywhere. It was so early it was still dark and I peered around in the darkness to see which direction he had gone. I was on the verge of calling his name when I heard him snarl and heard some sort of animal make a loud noise. Curiosity overtook me and I started walking in the direction of the sounds I heard.

I walked into the trees and picked my way around the rocks and branches on the ground. The noises stopped and I stopped. I could not hear anything for a brief time, and then I heard a slurping noise to my left.

When I turned to see what it was, I saw Edward with a cat of some kind. He had killed it and was feeding. I stood very still, not knowing whether to run or stay. I had not even thought about Edward hunting an animal when he tore out the door. His figure was bathed in the moonlight and it was almost a beautiful sight had I not been so concerned about what I should do.

I remembered a conversation with Edward when I asked if I could ever see him hunt. He had strictly forbidden it due to the danger. It had something to do with giving over to his instincts and possibly hurting me without realizing it. My stomach clenched as I stood there watching Edward feed. I wondered how much danger I had put myself in following him stupidly like this. Edward would never forgive himself if something bad happened.

As I watched, Edward pushed the cat away from himself and sat back against a tree panting. I was rooted in place. I barely breathed. I did not even blink.

Before long, Edward stood. He was facing me, but I couldn't tell if he was actually 'seeing' me or not. I watched as he crouched and I heard a quiet growl. Terrified as I was, I was fascinated as well. He looked beautiful and sinister at the same time in the moonlight of the forest. I continued to remain perfectly still while I watched him creep closer to me.

When Edward was several feet from me, I realized he was not stalking an animal. Edward was stalking me. I stopped breathing. I thought wildly about how to stop him. I was truly terrified of Edward for the first time in my life.

I heard Edward's cell phone start buzzing in his pants pocket. He hesitated and I took the opportunity to scream at him.

"Edward! Stop! It's Bella!"

* * *

**_End Note: Uh oh... Well? Tell me what you think! Just click on the little box right below here that says review and leave me some LOVE! _**


	13. Chapter 13 Club de Haut de Mille

**_A/N This chapter is lovingly dedicated to BloodRedNight who gave me the inspiration for completely re-writing it. I really hope that everyone enjoys the lemony goodness that this chapter is. I must also thank Miss Lillie Cullen for being so wonderful and helping me with this chapter so much. _**

**_Disclaimer Number 1: I do not speak, write, read, or understand French. Please take it easy on me if the passages in French are not totally accurate. I used an on-line translator because European Edward speaking French is just HOT. EDIT: THANK YOU TO SABRINA WHO REVIEWED AND TRANSLATED MY FRENCH CORRECTLY! YAY!_**

**_Disclaimer Number 2: I don't own Twilight or any of its' characters. Stephenie Meyer has that honor. I just like playing with them._**

**_Disclaimer Number 3: No copyright infringement is intended in the use of the movie title mentioned in this chapter._**

**_Enjoy!_**

**Bella**

Edward stopped suddenly and plunged his hand in his pocket. I could hear him panting. I heard him say, "Alice?" and everything grew dark around me.

"Bella? Bella! Wake up! Bella!"

I opened my eyes and saw Edward's terrified face inches from mine. I immediately started struggling to get away.

"Bella, it's okay," he soothed.

He let go of me and I jumped up and backed into the wall. _How did I get back in the house? _Edward took a step towards me and then stopped.

"Bella? It's me, honey. It's Edward. You interrupted me when I was hunting. Don't you remember? I know you are scared, love. I'm sorry, but it is okay now, I promise."

I burst into tears and collapsed on the floor. "Edward, I'm so sorry I followed you, I didn't think…I didn't realize you were…"

Edward came to my side and gathered me into his lap as he sat. He held me close and stroked my hair. "Shhhh, Bella. It's all right. I'm sorry I bolted out of the house like that. I heard the lynx outside and, I don't know, I haven't had such an urge to feed like that for a long time. I never dreamt you would follow me."

My tears started to subside and I sobbed quietly. I laid my head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know you told me I couldn't be around when you hunted and when I saw you with the cat, I wanted to come back inside, but I was mesmerized, fascinated. I was frozen in place and couldn't move and then when you started coming towards me, well, I thought things were going to end badly."

Edward chuckled softly, "Well, when I heard you screaming and felt my phone buzzing in my pocket, I was afraid for a moment that they had already ended 'badly,' love."

I looked at his face and could see nothing of the savage I had seen outdoors. I put my arms around his neck.

He stood up, carried me to the couch, and sat back down with me. "You will get too cold if we stay on the floor, Bella. You still feel warm, are you sure you aren't sick?"

"I'm fine, Edward. I don't think I'm sick. I just feel really stupid for putting myself in your way like that. It would have been entirely my own fault if you would have killed me."

"Bella, don't even say that! It would NOT have been your fault if I would have killed you! The fault would have been all mine!"

"Are you still thirsty?"

Edward looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "Yes, love, I am, but not bad. I am back in control now. I honestly don't know what brought that on. I haven't done anything like that in years."

"I know."

"You know what, love?"

"I know why you got uncontrollably thirsty."

Edward looked interested and said, "Please, by all means, enlighten me, love. Why did I get uncontrollably thirsty?"

"Well, I've noticed that…sex makes me hungry. It probably does the same thing to you."

Edward laughed and kissed me on the nose. "You may just be right, love. I will have to take that under consideration and take precautions from now on. Now, I better call Alice back to prove to her that I didn't eat you."

Now I was laughing and grabbed the phone from him. I dialed Alice's number and hit the speaker-phone button.

"Edward? Is everything all right? Is Bella all right?"

"I'm fine, Alice, really. It was my fault anyway."

Edward glared at me briefly and said, "Yes, Alice. She is fine, and blaming herself as usual."

Alice laughed and said, "Well, I'm glad to hear that you two didn't get divorced over this yet, or worse!"

"Alice," I said, "is Carlisle at home? I want to ask him something…no wait! I don't want to ask Carlisle, I want to ask you!"

Thankfully, Alice was still there. "Yes, Bella? What is it?"

I could already hear the laughter in her voice and knew that she knew what was coming, but she was going to torture me by making me say it anyway. I let out a sigh and said, "Are you really going to make me ask, Alice?"

She laughed aloud and said, "Whatever are you talking about, Bella? I don't know what you are going to ask me."

"You do too!" I argued.

Edward was grinning now and I punched him gently in the shoulder, being careful not to break my hand.

"I'm waiting, Bella."

"Does sex make Jasper thirsty?"

She giggled and I heard her call, "Jasper, come here for a minute, your sister-in-law has a question for you."

"NO! ALICE!"

Edward was laughing now. I was sure that I had turned fourteen shades of red. My face and neck were burning. I heard some talking on the other end of the phone, but was now determined that I was not talking to any of them about this any further.

"I was just kidding, Bella. Yes, sex makes us both thirsty. We often go hunt right after. Rose and Emmett are the same way. I guess I should have warned my brother, but he has been around all of us for a long time. I guess I figured he knew. I'm sorry that I did not see that in any of my visions. It was a split-second decision on Edward's part to go, and then on yours to follow. It was very confusing for a few minutes. As soon as I knew what was happening, I called Edward. I saw you screaming, so I knew he would stop and answer my call."

"Thank you, Alice," we both said.

"You're welcome. Now get busy or you are going to miss your flight!"

We both laughed and hung up. Edward looked down at me and kissed me lovingly. "Well, Mrs. Cullen, you heard your sister. We better get going."

I got up and gathered the rest of my belongings together. Edward and I tidied up the cottage and cleaned up the kitchen.

When all of our chores were done, Edward loaded our luggage into the car, and we left. I watched the cottage grow smaller, disappearing into the woods, and silently thanked Alice for having it there.

While Edward sped towards the airport, I sat quietly with my hands in my lap. Finally, I looked over at Edward and said, "How many houses do you Cullens own?"

Edward chuckled and said, "A few, Bella. And don't forget, you are one of 'you Cullens' now."

**Edward**

As we were arriving at the airport, I had a thought about our flight arrangements. We were going to fly first class on Air France, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to be alone with Bella during our flight home. I didn't want hundreds of passengers around us. We were not going to be alone at all once we got back, and I wanted to cherish every moment I had with her all to myself. I was still distraught over almost killing Bella this morning. I wanted to make it up to her any way possible. With that in mind, I found Bella a comfortable place to sit with some coffee and breakfast while I went to make our flight arrangements.

Upon my return, I gathered up our luggage and led Bella to the gate that our flight would be departing from. When we went down the stairs, out the door, and onto the tarmac, Bella tugged on my shirt.

"Edward? Where are we going? Where is our plane?"

I pointed at the Falcon 900 private jet I had rented for us and said, "That, love, is our plane." Bella stopped walking and stood, jaw open. I turned to look at her and she looked from the jet to me and back at the jet.

"_Our_ plane, Edward?"

"No, love. I rented it, I didn't buy it!" I said, laughing.

"Oh… Why did you rent a jet?"

I pulled her close to me and kissed the top of her head softly. "Because I wanted to be alone with you, love. This will be the last of our alone time for a while. Is that alright? We can go back inside and fly commercial if you would rather."

Bella shook her head and looked up at me with wonderment. "You never cease to amaze me, Edward. I… I don't… I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything, love. Let's go home, shall we?"

Bella nodded and started up the stairs into the jet. The captain greeted her at the entrance to the plane. He took her hand and kissed it, saying ''Bienvenue Madame Cullen! ''

Bella blushed and said, "Thank you."

"S'il vous plaît, assoyez-vous où bon vous semble."

Bella looked at me, confused. I translated for her, "Please sit wherever you like." She smiled, nodded, and made her way through the plane to a large reclining seat in the middle of the jet. I entered after her and the pilot shook my hand and welcomed me aboard as well.

"Bienvenue à bord à vous ainsi que Monsieur Cullen."

"Merci et je vous remercie d'avoir accepté ce travail dans de si brefs délais."

He nodded and then asked, ''Êtes-vous certain de ne pas avoir besoin d'un agent de bord pour un vol aussi long?''

''Non merci, nous saurons nous débrouiller. Nous désirons notre intimité une fois que l'avion aura décollé.''

''Je comprends monsieur Cullen. Si vous avez besoin de quelque chose, apellez-moi. Passez un bon vol.''

I nodded to him and made my way back to sit next to Bella. She was looking at me incredulously. "Would you mind telling me what all that was about?"

I smiled and said, "Well, he welcomed me aboard. Then, I thanked him for taking this assignment on such short notice. He asked me if I was sure that we did not need an attendant for the long flight, and I assured him we did not because we desired privacy. He told me he understood and told me to let him know if we need anything. Then he told me to enjoy the flight."

"I love when you speak French, Edward. Perhaps, someday, I will learn."

"I have no doubt that you will, love. Someday."

The captain secured the plane, and after saluting me, exited to the cockpit closing the door behind him. Bella looked all around the plane and pointed to the door behind us. "What is back there, Edward?"

"It is a bedroom, love."

Her eyes were wide when she said, "A _bedroom_? On a _plane_?"

I nodded to her and watched her as her eyes flashed around looking at the rest of our accommodations. We had a large flat screen, DVD player, stacks of DVDs, a galley, several nice chairs, and a table in this part of the jet. I knew, that behind the door to the bedroom, was a queen sized bed and a bathroom.

We took off quickly and were on our way. Bella watched out the window as we climbed over France and reached our cruising altitude. I stroked her hand while she watched out the window. Once we had leveled off, Bella looked back at me and said, "Can we explore the rest of the plane now?"

"Of course we can, love," I said with a smile. I thought wickedly of the plans I had for the room behind us. Bella got up and went first to the galley where she got a bottle of water and drank the whole thing down. "You seem to be rather thirsty, Bella. Are you sure you are well?"

"I'm sure, Edward. I'm just thirsty," she said and shrugged.

She looked around the cabin a bit and then glanced at me as she walked past and opened the door to the bedroom. I stood as she walked by and caught her around her waist when she walked into the plane's berth. I leaned down to whisper in her ear, "This will be our last time alone for awhile, love. I thought you might want to…"

She cut me off by twisting her neck around and pressing her lips full on mine. She snaked her hand up into my hair and I felt weak with desire for my lovely wife. It was becoming a familiar feeling. I picked her up and took her to the bed, laying her gently on the mound of pillows that resided there. I climbed on beside her and we kissed for what felt like hours. Bella had to come up for air at times, but when she wasn't having to stop to breathe, our lips and tongues were locked together in a never-ending dance of delight.

I caressed Bella gently as I held her. There was no urgency to our motions. We caressed each other languidly and with great care. I pulled Bella on top of me, and slowly helped her out of her blouse and bra. She was kissing my neck and nibbling on my ear in the most erotic way when she suddenly giggled.

"What's funny, love?" I whispered.

"We are going to join the Mile High Club, aren't we?"

I chuckled and said, "I certainly hope so, love, I certainly hope so."

Bella sighed and continued to nibble on my ear while I kissed her shoulder and luxuriated in the feel of her naked breasts against my chest. Slowly, I rolled us back to our sides and unbuttoned Bella's jeans. She responded by sliding her hand under my shirt and up my back. My back spontaneously arched at the feel of her scintillating touch. It felt as though there was an electrical current flowing between us that could not be broken. I quickly slid out of my shirt and pressed our bodies together. She wrapped her leg around mine, and tried to push herself closer to me. A soft moan escaped from my lips and I searched my mind for the monster, wanting to make sure he did not ruin this perfect time for us. I found him sulking in the corner of his cage. He did not turn to look at me and his tail was still. The cage was firmly locked and he did not respond when I mentally addressed him. I was satisfied that he would not be bothering me, and returned all my attention to Bella.

Lightly, I pushed her onto her back and carefully removed her jeans, revealing her pink lace panties. I tossed her jeans and sandals aside and sat back on my heels to look at her. She opened her eyes and squeezed my hand. She eyed me thoughtfully as she took my hand and pulled it to her mouth. Her pink lips opened and she sucked my index finger into her mouth, which sent a powerful wave of lust through my loins. After just a few moments of that, I stood up in a hurry to rid myself of the rest of my clothing. I also made sure the bedroom door was firmly closed before I crawled back onto the foot of the bed and positioned myself between Bella's legs, yanking off her panties, and diving into her wet pink lips with my tongue.

Her back arched and her hands flew to my hair. I smiled a devilish smile as I circled her bundle of nerves with my tongue and her body shuddered. I grabbed her ankles and pushed them up so that her feet were flat on the bed, then slid my fingers slowly down her slit and paused at the entrance to paradise. Bella was moaning softly and arching onto my tongue, trying to pull my fingers inside her. I teased her opening slightly with my fingers and she moaned with more determination. Very slowly, and with great determination, I slid two fingers inside her while my tongue continued to tease her pleasure center.

Bella began to throw her head back and forth on the pillow, and I knew that her climax was forthcoming, so I increased the pressure of my fingers on her special spot inside that seemed to drive her right off the edge. She yanked on my hair and moaned loudly as her whole body tightened into spasms. I continued to let my fingers massage her passage gently as she came down from her orgasm and as soon as I felt her begin to relax, I began to increase the pressure again. I dove back into her with my tongue and watched her eyes widen and then slam shut as another moan flew out of her mouth. She gripped my hair hard and wrapped her legs around my shoulders. I was smiling to myself when she peaked again screaming, "Oh my God, Edward, Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God!"

I was completely addicted. I didn't know if I was trying to get her to beg me to stop, or if I was trying to see how long I could go without needing to enter her, which I was needing badly. I was resolute that I was going to make her either beg me to stop or to enter her, so as she relaxed, I started all over again, plunging my fingers back into her wetness to find that special place that worked so quickly and so well.

Bella started moaning, "Oh, Edward, no, I… I don't know… if I… Edward… oh God… oh… no… again… yes… oh… Edward…"

I was extremely pleased with myself and lapped her juices up with fervor before sitting up so that I could have a ring side seat to this. Her hands were firmly gripped to the comforter that adorned the bed. Her eyes were closed, and her head was thrashing back and forth. My thumb took over my tongue's place on her tiny nub and I increased the pressure on the front wall of her cavern once again. Her entire body arched forward and her legs flew apart. I watched her toes curl and her nipples stiffen as the orgasm crashed around her. She had gooseflesh all over her body and was sobbing, "Edward, Edward, so good, Edward, so good, oh God, oh, please, I need you, I need you in me, oh Edward…"

I heard a growl start deep in my chest as I said, "That was exquisite, love," and I quickly moved myself into position over the top of her so I could enter her fully and complete our encounter. She threw her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. She pulled me close to her and I placed a blistering kiss on her lips as I buried myself inside of her. She thrust her hips up to meet mine and met my frenzied rhythm immediately. Her mouth devoured mine and it was not long enough for my taste before my own climax started bubbling up deep inside me.

Bella was writhing beneath me, soaked in sweat, moaning, "So good, oh Edward, so good, I love you, you feel so good…"

The sound of her voice saying my name sent me over the precipice and her peak swallowed her as mine swallowed me. I closed my eyes and allowed nothing but the feelings of my body to rule my motions. Bella's body was clenched to mine and her muscles were clenching around my member, pulling my vampire fluid out of me. As I began to relax, I rolled over and pulled her on top of me before I collapsed on top of her. I was still fully sheathed inside of her as we both fought to catch our breath. I was utterly exhausted and could not remember feeling that way for such a long time.

Once we both had returned to normal, Bella leaned up to look into my eyes. Her head cocked over to the side, and she said, "Edward, your eyes are pitch black! You didn't feed enough!"

I chuckled at her and said, "Don't worry, love, I'm not going to eat you… at least… not your blood."

She smiled and said, "If you do any more of THAT, you might kill me too!"

I hugged her and she kissed me softly. She shivered slightly and I surmised that she was probably cold. I carefully let myself slip out of her, and rearranged us so that she was under the covers. She snuggled close to me and slept for a couple of hours.

While she was sleeping, I got up, dressed, and went to find her something to eat. I found plenty of fruit, and two trays that were already prepared. I warmed one up and sat it on the table just as she came tumbling out of the bedroom into the main cabin. I caught her just as she was about to hit the floor and stood her back up.

"Oh," she exclaimed, "my legs are weak!"

I grinned at her. "Too much ecstasy, my love?"

She smiled back and said, "I guess so. Something smells good!"

I assisted her to the table and she sat down to eat, devouring her food as though she had not eaten in a week. She drank two bottles of water and ate every bit of the meatloaf, baked potato, broccoli, grapes, and strawberries that I had put out for her.

"Do you need some more, love?"

"No," she smiled, "I think I am full. How much longer?"

I realized that I had lost track of time and had no idea how much longer. I picked up the phone that connected me with the cockpit, and asked the captain in French how much longer we would be. He told me we had eight hours of the flight left. I smiled. Half of the flight was gone but a good share of that half had been spent making love to Bella.

"Eight more hours, love."

"Oh… "

"Are you disappointed?"

"Oh, no, not at all. I just wondered what other activities we would find to occupy the time," she said coyly.

I sat in the large recliner and motioned for her to sit in my lap. She crawled into my lap and I held her close while we talked.

"Bella, we need to finish talking about your… change."

"Okay, Edward. I was just waiting for you to be ready."

"Are you sure you won't change your mind, love? I would fight every one of the Volturi to keep you human if you asked me to."

"I know you would, Edward, but I am not going to change my mind."

"You're positive?"

She giggled. _I'm glad she sees humor in this because I certainly don't._ "Yes, I'm positive. It's just… it seems like the best choice, Edward. I know you would fight them for me, but what if you lost? Or what if they took me prisoner and changed me themselves, or worse, killed me?"

I shook my head. "I would never allow that to happen, Bella."

"I know you wouldn't allow it to happen on purpose, Edward, but it could happen. Something could go wrong. With my luck, who knows what might happen. I think we need to just stick with our plan, Edward. It seems to be the easiest option and it is what I want. Besides, I don't want you to hold back anymore."

"Hold back?" _What is she talking about?_

"When we make love. You still have to hold back. I know you do and I want you to be able to feel what I feel, Edward, and above all, I still want to spend eternity with you. There is no other way."

She was right. There was no other way for us to spend eternity together. She was also right about my holding back. As much as I had learned to let go, I still had to hold back and maintain a sense of myself to keep from hurting her. It had gotten so much easier over the last several days that I almost didn't notice that I was holding back anymore. My monster had almost given up trying to goad me into biting her when we were together. I considered her statements, and decided to proceed with our discussion.

"You are right, love. I suppose there is no other way."

She shook her head and said softly, "No, there isn't."

"Well, in that case, I suppose you would like to know what to expect when you awaken."

She nodded.

"Well, of course, we don't know if you will have any special abilities, but if you do, they may be present when you wake up, or they may take time to manifest. If they are present when you awaken, you will be more confused than you would have been normally, so try to remember that and try not to be afraid."

She continued nodding, so I continued, "Sometimes when you awaken, you are confused and don't remember who you are, or who other people are. If you concentrate on your human memories while you change, you will have a better chance at remembering things when you wake up. It is difficult, however, to concentrate on anything while you are changing. We are also going to be giving you a lot of morphine to help with the pain, so that may make your brain a little… fuzzy. I will try to talk to you while you are changing and remind you of things so that you can remember them when you wake up."

"It's going to feel like it did when James bit me, isn't it?" I winced at the memory of James biting her.

"Yes, love. I'm afraid so. Only, when James bit you, you only felt it in your hand. This will be everywhere. It will consume your entire being, and it will be frightening."

"I know." _She doesn't even look afraid…_

"You will be incredibly strong when you wake up, and you will most likely be incredibly thirsty, too. We will have to hunt soon after you awaken."

"What does the thirst feel like?"

"It feels like a burn in your throat. I suppose somewhat like it feels when you are thirsty as a human, only magnified about a thousand times." I tried to force a smile.

"Edward, I know this makes you uncomfortable. Let's watch a movie or something."

"I'm sorry, love. Could you tell?" She nodded again. "Alright, love, we can watch a movie if that is what you would like." Bella was always so perceptive. It seemed she could read me almost as well as I could read the minds of others. The connection that Bella and I shared was oddly wonderful. We hardly had to speak to each other to know what the other one was feeling or thinking and I felt so privileged to have her in my life.

Bella got up and crossed to the cabinet that held the DVDs. She perused the selection of movies that were provided and chose "An Affair to Remember." It was the 1957 version with Cary Grant and I grinned at her. "Do you have a thing for Cary Grant, love, or maybe for Bogey?" I said and raised my eyebrows.

She giggled and said, "No, I just happen to like old movies, Edward."

I smiled at her and she walked into the bedroom. I followed her and took the movie from her as she crawled back into bed. I started the movie and laid down with her to watch it. I hoped she would sleep some more as she looked very tired. She had dark circles forming beneath her eyes and I was afraid I had worn her out too much. I pulled her into my arms and noticed she felt warm again.

"Bella, you are sure you are not ill? You feel like you have a fever and you felt like you had one yesterday too."

"I'm okay, Edward. I'm fine. Really."

I looked at her with consternation. Somehow, I didn't believe her, particularly when the phrase, "I'm fine," came out of her mouth. I went to get her another bottle of water and found her some Tylenol.

"Love, I want you to take some Tylenol, whether you think you need it or not."

"Okay, I'll take it if it will make _you_ feel better."

"It will."

She took the pills and handed the bottle back to me. She kept the water bottle and drank it all. I climbed back into bed with her and we quietly watched the movie for awhile until Bella drifted off to sleep. I stared at her while she was sleeping and noted that she not only had dark circles under her eyes, but she was paler than usual as well. Her heart rate and respiratory rate did not sound any different and her blood did not smell any different so I determined that she might just be coming down with a cold. I vowed to myself that I would keep closer watch on her over the next few days and not rely on asking her if she was well. I already knew what her answer would be. I wondered why it was so important for me to be truthful with her when she would not even tell me that she was sick, but I brushed that away thinking that maybe she really didn't feel bad.

She was a bit restless in her sleep for the first hour and I finally moved away from her until she appeared to be comfortable. When, at last, she was sleeping deeply and no longer restless, I scooted back to her side to hold her. When my arms wrapped around her, she sighed and said, "Oh, Edward…" I was in heaven. I snuggled in, content to watch her sleep for as long as she was sleeping.

Bella awakened about an hour and a half before we were scheduled to arrive in Seattle. She stretched and rolled over to kiss me, weaving her arms around my neck.

"Did you sleep well, my angel?"

"Mmmm hmmm."

"Are you hungry or thirsty?"

"No…"

She threw her leg over my hips and climbed on top of me, looking down at me with lust in her eyes.

"You don't ever get enough, do you love?"

"Are you complaining?"

"Absolutely not!"

She pulled her top back off, and wormed her way out of the sweats she had put on to go to bed. Then, she went to work on my t-shirt and boxers. Once we were free of the confines of our clothing, she laid on top of me, and nibbled at my ear. I was instantly aroused and felt my shaft lengthening beneath her. She rubbed her body against it, eliciting a groan from me. I ran my hands over her perfect bottom and pulled her to me. Her lips met mine and we hungrily kissed each other.

Bella straddled my hips and my length slid inside her easily. We both gasped loudly and Bella immediately began thrusting back and forth onto my shaft. She sat back, continuing to thrust, and ran her hands up her body, across her breasts, and into her hair. Her head was back and her perfect mouth was open. I quickly grabbed her hips to help support her weight while I stared at her in utter awe. _She has got to be the most sensual woman in the world…_

Bella put her hands down on my chest and stared down at me while she continued to ride me for all she was worth. A faint smile passed her lips and she stopped, suddenly. I looked up at her with alarm, thinking something was wrong.

"Bella?"

A more pronounced smile came across her face and she hopped off me and turned around on her hands and knees, wiggling her bottom at me invitingly. I was up instantly, grabbing her hips, and pulling her back to impale her on my shaft. She giggled, and then moaned when I pulled myself completely out of her, and slammed back into her as hard as I dared. She turned her head to look at me, and her eyes were blazing with desire. I reached under her to tease her button and she moaned loudly as her head went down onto her arms. I could feel her orgasm moving through her body like a tidal wave, and when it crashed, I growled and thrust into her, spewing my cool liquid against her honeyed walls.

Bella collapsed on the bed, gasping and panting. I carefully picked her up and held her tightly. She was trembling and grabbed onto me as I stroked her hair.

I caressed her softly and murmured into her hair, "You are the sexiest woman in the universe, Bella."

Her face turned up to look at me, and she sucked her lower lip into her mouth, biting it invitingly. "Do you really think that, Edward?"

I nodded. "Of course I do, love."

She looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "Can I ask you something?"

I chuckled and said, "You know you can ask me anything, sweetheart."

"What about…Tanya?"

I knitted my brow at her. Why on earth would she be asking me about Tanya right now? I searched her face for a fleeting moment and said, "What about Tanya, love?"

"I met her, Edward. She was at our wedding. Why aren't you with her instead of me? She is astoundingly beautiful, she is a vampire, and she obviously has feelings for you."

I cupped her chin, and kissed her nose. "Bella, you are the only woman for me. I admit that Tanya had a thing for me and pursued me relentlessly for a time, but I was never interested in her, Bella. If I needed to breathe, you would be my air. You are my sun, my moon, my happiness, my dream, my love, and my life all wrapped up in a gorgeous package. I waited for you through all of the darkness of my life, and now the sun has finally risen. You have taught me to love, and to live. I don't ever want you to think that you are not good enough for me, because if anything, I am not good enough for you. I love you, Bella. I love you so much that I would do anything you asked me to, as long as it meant you would be happy and by my side forever."

Tears were rolling down my Bella's face and she placed her hand on my cheek. "Oh, Edward. I love you so much. Thank you… for everything, for the chateau, and for Paris, and for this plane, and for giving yourself to me as you have. I never want to forget how wonderful these past days have been."

"Then I won't let you, love. I promise."

We held each other for a time until the phone next to the bed rang. I spoke to the captain briefly who informed me that we were going to be descending into Seattle and arriving there in thirty minutes. Begrudgingly, I released Bella, and we both dressed silently. I looked down at the bed, which was in a state of complete dishevelment and smiled. I folded the comforter and sheets up carefully and placed them in a bag to take with me. I put three hundred dollars on the nightstand with a note that said, "For new linens," and Bella and I took our seats to await our arrival.

We arrived in Seattle on schedule and departed the jet that had brought us home. As we were descending, I taught Bella to say "Thank you" in French.

The captain was at the foot of the plane's stairs when we stepped out. Bella reached out her hand to shake his and said, "Merci beaucoup," perfectly.

She blushed when he took her hand, kissed it, and said, "Je vous en prie Madame Cullen."

She giggled, and looked at me so I told her, "Don't mention it." She smiled and nodded her head to him, then stepped away so that I could properly thank him in French.

Our luggage was unloaded and I gathered it up so we could make our way through the airport. As promised, Alice was waiting for us, and ran up to hug Bella tightly. Her thoughts said, _"Welcome home, Edward," _but she concentrated on talking to Bella.

"I missed you, Bella!"

"I…can't…breathe…Alice," Bella choked.

I glared at her and she said, "Oops! Sorry about that," and let Bella go.

Alice hugged me then and gave me an extra squeeze as her mind told me, _"You can't imagine how happy everyone will be to see that you have both returned in one piece."_

**_End Note: I got so many wonderful reviews on the last chapter! Please don't disappoint me. Edward and I enjoy reading the reviews together, and as you saw at the beginning of this chapter, if you have a really good idea, you just might get a special chapter written and dedicated to you!_**


	14. Chapter 14 Triumphant Return

Disclaimer: Although I don't own Twilight, or any of its characters, Edward is a regular visitor and has been telling me his story with great enthusiasm.

**A/N Unfortunately, things are going to be a little more serious for a few chapters. No lemons...sorry :( Everyone who has been wondering about Bella's illness will now start to see exactly what is going on, though as is the M.O. for the Cullens, someone is keeping a secret. I wonder if everyone will figure out who is keeping the secret and what secret is being kept and from whom. Edward and I would love to hear your theories on this. Thank you for all the reviews and Favorite Story Adds. I hope to continue to hear from you all!**

**Bella**

We made our way to the car. I felt stupid with Edward and Alice carrying all of our luggage, but grimly decided that I wasn't going to argue with them. After our luggage was stowed in the trunk of Carlisle's car, Alice hugged me again, though not as tightly. She stepped back and looked at my face, then said, "You are warm, Bella. Are you ill?" _Not again…_

I sighed, "No, I don't think so, although Edward thinks I am too."

Alice looked puzzled for a moment, but got in the back seat of the car without another word.

Edward drove us back to Forks while I told Alice all about France and Italy. I told her about how beautiful Chateau de Bella was and how much I wished we could have stayed.

When we arrived at the house, there was quite a welcoming party standing on the porch. "What's all this?" I asked Alice.

Alice smirked and said, "Well, I know you don't like a lot of attention, Bella, but there are several people who are happy to see you have returned home, some more concerned about your safety than others."

I laughed when I saw Jacob standing on the porch smiling. I knew to whom she was referring. I waited for Edward to open my car door and we started towards the porch hand in hand. Jacob bounded off the porch and grabbed me up in his arms. He twirled me around while saying, "Welcome home, Bells!" When he put me down, he kissed me on the forehead and I quickly glanced at Edward who was staring at Jacob with his fists clenched. I wished that Jacob would stop behaving like that. It wasn't fair to Edward, but I supposed that it was my fault. Somehow, I had to figure out how to help Jacob accept that I belonged to Edward, but I had no idea how I was going to accomplish that.

Jacob looked incensed when I politely said, "Err, thank you, Jacob. It's good to see you too."

I reached for Edward's hand again, and we continued to the porch where I hugged Charlie first. I turned to hug Rose when Emmett burst out laughing and said, "How is Alice's living room floor?" I could have killed him. I turned to glare at Edward who was already glaring at Emmett.

Rose elbowed him hard and said, "Shut it, Emmett! You are embarrassing your little sister!" Rose hugged me and whispered, "Just ignore him. He's incorrigible." I giggled, partly of embarrassment, and partly because Rose was so different towards me now.

I moved on to hug Esme who said, "Welcome home, Bella. Are you well dear?" I smiled and nodded as I moved on to hug Jasper and Carlisle.

Emmett appeared in front of me with his arms open and said, "Where's my hug?"

I curtsied in front of him and said, "There's your hug, Emmett. Thanks for embarrassing me the second I get home!" Everyone laughed loudly as I moved on to hug Seth and Embry.

I gestured to the three Quileute's and said, "So what brings you all here?"

"We were invited to your welcome home party, of course," said Seth, "and I heard that Esme made cake!"

I laughed. The saying that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach certainly held true for Seth. It was cute the way he was always looking for food handouts.

We entered the house to find it decorated to the hilt with streamers, flowers, and a large banner hanging on one wall that said, "Welcome Home Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen." I smiled in spite of my irritation at Alice for doing this.

I walked over and looked at the large cake on the table that said, "Welcome Home Bella and Edward," and shook my head. Now I knew the purpose of all of those plastic dishes Alice had purchased before the wedding.

I made an effort to mingle through the guests and talk to everyone at least briefly. I spoke with Charlie and Jacob at length telling them all about Paris, Milan, Nice, and Chateau de Bella. Charlie looked at me incredulously and then looked at Edward.

"You bought her a chateau in France?"

Edward nodded. "Yes, sir, I did. It was her wedding gift, along with the trip."

Jacob looked at the floor and I wondered why, but thought that he was probably feeling badly about all the money and attention Edward had lavished on me during our brief honeymoon. I put my hand on Edward's knee and squeezed it lightly. Jacob would never be able to understand the close bond that Edward and I shared. I sincerely hoped that Jacob would find someone who could love him the way he deserved to be loved someday.

I noticed that while Jacob was looking at the floor, Edward was smiling gleefully and I jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow, an action that I immediately regretted. I rubbed my elbow briefly, knowing that I would have a good bruise there.

Charlie questioned us a bit about the chateau, but I could see that he was concerned that we were going to move there rather than go to school. I giggled lightly and said, "No dad, we are going to college. Not to worry!" I hoped that he would not be able to see that I was lying. I knew that eventually we would go to college, but we had other things that needed to be taken care of first. I felt a twinge of sadness that I didn't know for sure when I would be seeing Charlie again.

As I rose to move on, I hugged Charlie again. I wandered off to see who else I could talk to, and stopped to watch Seth and Embry for a minute, who were desperately trying to eat all of the cake. They slipped around the room and slyly exchanged empty plates for full ones with the vampires. I giggled at them and thought how nice it was to be back at home amongst our friends and family. Though we had not been gone for long, I knew the time was coming up quickly that we would be gone for an extended period, and I was glad to have this opportunity to see them again.

I was becoming extremely tired and started yawning. My head was starting to ache some, which I was sure had something to do with jet lag. Alice saw me yawning and started shooing the werewolves out. Charlie stood up and said, "I think I should be going too."

I said my goodbyes to everyone, and tried to maintain a cheerful stance. Edward announced loudly to Jacob, Seth, and Embry that we would be leaving for Dartmouth in a matter of just a few days. I glared at him. Jacob looked sad as he hugged me again. "I hope you will find time to stay in touch, Bella."

I smiled at him and said, "Sure, sure. I will. No worries, Jake," and winked. Jacob smiled and exited with Seth and Embry in tow.

I turned to Charlie and said, "I'll be emailing, Dad."

He smiled and hugged me again. He stepped back to look at me and said, "You are warm, Bella."

"So I've heard." I looked at Edward and Alice.

"Are you sick?"

"I don't think so, Dad." _Can't they all just mind their own business?_

Charlie looked at Edward and Edward said, "I am going to have Carlisle check her over, Charlie. She has been that way for a couple of days, but insists that she is not feeling ill. I want to make sure."

I rolled my eyes. I was irritated that everyone was so concerned about my well-being when I was obviously just exhausted. Between the last few days before the wedding, the wedding itself, and the honeymoon, I was just worn out. I didn't like all the attention that was being given to the fact that I felt warm. I had been ill before. I had no desire to be taken to the hospital for tests or anything else. I just wanted to sleep. I knew that Edward would never agree to that and resigned myself to the fact that Carlisle would be looking at me before I went to bed.

Charlie nodded and said, "Let me know."

"I will," he said as he nodded back and shook Charlie's hand.

As soon as Charlie was out the door, Edward took my hand and said, "Come on, Bella. Let's go see Carlisle. I want to make sure that you are okay."

"Honestly Edward, I am just tired," I whined. Why wouldn't anyone listen to me?

We entered Carlisle's study and found him sitting at his desk reading. "Carlisle, I'm sorry to bother you, but I think you need to take a look at Bella. She has been running a low-grade fever for two days, but she insists she is not ill."

"Really, Carlisle, I think I am just tired. I really don't think that it is anything to bother you with. If I don't feel better after a good night's sleep…"

Edward interrupted me saying, "Bella, please, just let him have a look at you."

I sighed and sat down. I knew I was defeated, but at least I had tried. Edward seemed to be more bold about making my decisions when the rest of the family was around. I mused that had we been alone, I would have been able to convince him to let me have my way.

Carlisle looked concerned and rounded his desk to look at me more closely. He glanced at Edward, who nodded, and went to a cabinet and got Carlisle's medical bag.

Carlisle popped a thermometer in my mouth and placed a stethoscope on my chest. I smirked at him using the thermometer and stethoscope because I knew that he did not need them. He seemed to be in 'doctor mode' and had put it out of his mind that I knew he did not need these things to diagnose me.

When Carlisle removed the thermometer, he glanced at it, raised an eyebrow, and handed it to Edward.

"Bella, come clean. Are you feeling well or not? Your temperature is one hundred and one degrees." Edward sounded annoyed.

"I'm fine, Edward. I'm a little achy and tired. My head hurts a little bit, but not bad. I really don't feel sick." _How can I get him to listen to me?_

"Bella, would you consent to letting me draw some blood to do some testing?" asked Carlisle.

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" I was not interested in having a needle shoved up my arm. I hoped that I could stall them.

"I won't make you go to the hospital, Bella. I can do it here, and then take the blood to the hospital myself. It will only take a minute. I would really like to see if this is anything we need to concern ourselves with, or if you truly are just exhausted." Carlisle was trying to look nonchalant, but I knew that he was not going to let it go.

"When Carlisle is done, you can go upstairs and go to bed, love," Edward said, trying to encourage me. He knew I did not like having blood drawn. I felt like they were ganging up on me, and I was becoming more irritated by the second.

"Fine," I said, knowing that I was not going to win this battle.

Carlisle nodded, and went back to his cabinet where he retrieved a tray that had blood tubes on it. I immediately felt faint. He also took a bottle of Tylenol out of his bag. He looked at Edward and said, "You need to make sure she is drinking plenty of fluid, and give her two of these for the fever." I watched the Tylenol bottle pass between them, and I rolled my eyes.

I snatched the bottle out of Edward's hand and said, "I know how to take Tylenol."

Edward retreated and brought me a glass of water while Carlisle prepared to draw my blood. I swallowed the Tylenol and noticed Carlisle looking intently at Edward who was occasionally nodding or shaking his head.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," I grouched.

"I'm terribly sorry, Bella. It is a decades old habit for Edward and me. I will try not to do it when you are around, particularly when you are the topic of the conversation."

I mumbled that it was okay and stuck my arm out so Carlisle could draw my blood and get it over with. Edward came to my side and held my other hand, stroking it absent-mindedly. I stared at Edward who stared back at me. I didn't even feel the needle go into my arm. I glanced over at Carlisle to see what he was doing with my arm, and saw that he had already drawn four tubes of blood and was removing the needle. I gripped Edward's hand feeling dizzy and weak. Thankfully I couldn't smell the blood or I would not have been able to keep myself from passing out.

I sat back for a few minutes trying to clear the fuzz from my mind. Esme brought in a cold washcloth and laid it on my forehead. I opened my eyes and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. I hope you feel better soon." Esme smiled down at me with the look of a mother concerned for her sick child and it made me feel… wanted. I closed my eyes and thought about that. Esme was mothering me. It was actually something foreign to me. I found that I rather liked it. I had spent most of my life as a child mothering my mother, and as I thought about it, I did the same thing with my father.

Edward picked me up and started up the stairs with me. I put my arms around him and laid my head on his shoulder. I decided that this was part of the reason that I loved this family so much. I now had a mother who acted like a mother, a father who acted like a father, and a husband who I loved more than life itself. I could not leave out the fact that he loved me just as much, if not more. Beyond all that, I got two wonderful sisters, and two wonderful brothers thrown into the mix. The family itself gave me everything that I had never had but always wanted.

When we reached our bedroom… _ours… _Edward put me down and I headed for the bathroom. I found a pair of black silk pajamas with a black silk camisole laid out. I looked at them fondly. I knew that Alice had left them for me. They looked just like something I would wear, save that they were silk. I wondered idly if I would ever choose my own clothing again, but decided that since Alice enjoyed it so much, and seemed to be finding things that were more my taste, I was not going to complain.

I stepped into the shower and the hot water made me feel faint. I steadied myself against the wall and finished quickly. I brushed my teeth and hair after getting out, and made my way back to the bedroom. Edward had the bed turned down for me and was standing next to it waiting. He looked anxious.

"Edward, I'm going to be fine. Stop worrying so much."

He pulled me into an embrace and kissed my wet hair. "I'm sorry, Bella. I just feel so helpless with you sick. I just want to take care of you and get you well, love."

I leaned back so I could kiss him and his lips were so gentle on mine that I nearly melted in his arms. He released me and began helping me into bed. I looked up at him and said, "Aren't you going to lay down with me?"

He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment and said, "Yes, love, if that is what you want, I will lay down with you." I smiled at him and scooted over to make room. I patted the bed next to me and he said sternly, "But I want you to sleep."

I bit my lip and stared at him. He didn't move a muscle until I said, "I promise I will be good," and blushed. He smiled then, and kicked off his shoes before snuggling up to me.

I pulled myself as close to him as I could, and found that his coolness felt extraordinary against my hot skin. "Edward, could you please take off your shirt? I'm hot."

Edward removed his shirt and wrapped himself around me to cool me off. I lay there for some time wondering if I really would be able to go to sleep, but soon Edward started humming my lullaby, and I was out.

I had not noticed when Edward got out of bed and left the room. I must have been sleeping very soundly. I was restless and had a nightmare that awakened me. I was crying when I woke up and immediately reached for Edward, who wasn't there. I sat up and said, "Edward?" I was terrified. My nightmare had been about Jane stealing in, taking Edward, and torturing him to death. My mind raced for the brief few seconds that it took for the door to fly open. Edward and Carlisle both rushed into the room.

"What is it, Bella?" Edward asked as he came to my side.

I grabbed him and buried my face in his chest. I started to cry uncontrollably. I was so happy he was there, but as my fear left me, I realized that I felt terrible.

"Bella, love, what's wrong? Carlisle, she is hotter now than she was earlier. Bella? Sweetheart? Can you talk to me, honey?"

I willed myself to calm down, for Edward's sake. He sounded practically hysterical with worry and I didn't want him to worry about me. If anyone knew that I would be fine, it was me. I had been down this road of being ill or injured so many times that it was second nature to me to be sick. I just had never felt quite this bad before. My chest was hurting, my head was throbbing, my muscles all ached, and I was feeling as though I could not quite catch my breath. I was not about to tell Edward all of that though. He would completely decompensate and blame himself somehow. I swallowed my sobs and looked up at him.

Carlisle and Edward were both staring at me with wide eyes. I looked from one to the other and said, "What?"

Edward sat down next to me, running his hand through my hair, and said, "Tell me what is wrong, Bella. How do you feel? What awakened you?"

_I am really not going there…no way am I telling him about the dream._ "I'm sorry, Edward. I freaked out because I had a nightmare, which I don't remember now, and when I woke up you weren't here. I don't feel good, but I'll be okay tomorrow I'm sure." I looked at him hopefully and knew immediately that he had seen through my lie, but which one?

"I'm sorry, Bella. I was downstairs talking to Carlisle." He glanced over at Carlisle and then continued, "It looks as though you have a viral infection, but we don't know exactly what. They are still running tests at the hospital."

I nodded and looked at Carlisle, who was now standing next to me holding the thermometer. I opened my mouth and he popped it in. He took my hand and looked at Edward. Edward glanced at him, but turned his attention back to me. When Carlisle pulled the thermometer out of my mouth he announced, "One hundred three degrees, pulse is 124, and respirations are 22. Her lungs are starting to sound congested, don't you think, Edward?"

I looked at Edward. I had not thought about how accurately he and Carlisle would be able to diagnose me by just looking and listening. I looked down at my hand in my lap and said, "My head is pounding, every muscle in my body aches, I'm hot, my chest hurts, and it is getting more difficult to breathe. I'm sorry that I was not truthful about it, Edward. I didn't want you to worry."

"Have you been feeling like this for the last few days, or just tonight?" he asked.

"Just tonight. I was a little achy the last few days, but nothing like this. My hair even hurts." Edward immediately snatched his hand out of my tresses and mumbled an apology. I grasped his hand in mine and said, "It's okay, Edward. I would rather have you touching me, even if my body does hurt."

Carlisle, who had been looking thoughtful said, "It almost sounds like influenza, but it is certainly not the time of year for that. Did you see or hear anyone around you that was sick while you were away, Edward?"

Edward shook his head without taking his eyes from me. I laid my head against Edward's cool shoulder and an occasional tear slowly rolled down my cheek. I was bordering on feeling the most miserable I had ever felt in my life.

Esme came in with a pitcher of water, poured me a glass, and handed it to me. She looked anxiously at Edward and Carlisle. "Isn't there anything else we can do for her? She doesn't look good at all."

I tried to muster a smile, but could not. I took a sip of the water, and it felt like pure ice in my mouth. It was almost painful it was so cold. I shook my head and handed it back to Esme. "I can't, Esme. It's too cold."

I leaned back against Edward's shoulder again, and closed my eyes. Carlisle said, "I think we need to start some intravenous fluids, Edward. She is dehydrated and the fever is making it worse all the time. Let's give her some more Tylenol and try to get this fever under control. I think you need to lay down with her and try to cool her off, Edward."

There was a brief flurry of activity in the room and Edward said, "Let's get you back in bed, love. You look faint."

Edward helped me back into bed and stripped down to his boxer-briefs. He crawled in next to me and gave me the Tylenol before he helped me to lay back down. I turned to face him and wrapped my arms around him. He pulled me close and made sure every part of him was touching me. He kissed my hair and said, "I won't leave you alone again, love. I'm sorry."

I just nodded my head and laid there. I was between sleep and wakefulness when I heard Edward talking, as though he were far away. "Carlisle, go ahead with the IV. I don't want her to get any more dehydrated than she already is."

I was only vaguely aware of Carlisle's cool hands on my arm, or the tight band around it. I didn't even feel pain when the needle went through my skin. I heard Carlisle and Edward's voices, but I couldn't put their words together into anything that made sense. I could still feel Edward lying next to me, but my limbs felt too heavy to try to clutch on to him. I finally succumbed to the cloudiness that was filling my mind and let myself fall asleep.

**End Note: The next chapter will be up soon. I will try to update quickly to get through this part of the story and into the really good stuff! Don't forget to review. The more reviews we get, the more red wine Edward and I drink, and the more wine we drink, the more we write!**


	15. Chapter 15 Bella's Fate

**A/N This is somewhat of a long chapter, but it is all necessary, I promise! Edward and I threw back several bottles of some good red wine that people sent to us while writing this one. We are anxiously awaiting your responses!**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight, but Stephenie doesn't know that I have kidnapped Edward and I'm not giving him back. I also don't own Dante's Divine Comedy, but I don't think he'll mind my use of it.

_**Thank you Lillie. I could not have completed this chapter without you.**_

**Edward**

Bella appeared to be sleeping, but I could feel when she transitioned from a state of sleep to unconsciousness. The whole family was worried and kept coming in and out of the room. I didn't want them to wake her and finally ordered everyone but Carlisle out. Carlisle sat in a chair at Bella's bedside while I stayed in bed with her, trying to keep her cool.

"Carlisle, her temperature is rising rather than falling. What are we going to do if she starts having seizures?"

Carlisle looked thoughtful. His mind was going over all of the scenarios. He suggested, via his mind, that we have another member of the family lay next to her. I shook my head. I did not want anyone else around unless I had to.

"Why don't we just wait and see if between you and the cool IV fluids she cools down on her own then, Edward. We need to give her some time. This is not going to happen instantaneously. You need to have some patience."

I stared at Carlisle in disbelief. _Patience? Is he kidding me?_

"I know it is difficult, Edward. The fever is her body's way of fighting the virus, remember?"

I nodded. I knew all of this, but my two medical degrees seem to have buried themselves somewhere when it came to Bella. I just wanted her well.

She was out the rest of the night. Sometime early the next morning, the phone rang downstairs and I listened carefully when Carlisle answered.

"Dr. Cullen, this is Terri in the lab at the hospital. We sent out those blood samples you brought us. The reference lab had to send them on to the CDC. It seems the virus is something quite rare that they could not identify."

"Do they have any idea what it is?"

"No, sir. They did not indicate to me that they had an idea. They just told me it was something rare and that they sent it on. I have a phone number for the supervisor at the reference lab if you would like it."

"Yes, please give it to me."

I shut out the rest of the conversation. Bella was stirring and I was trying to keep her comfortable. She stirred some more, then whispered, "I need to go to the bathroom, Edward."

I was overjoyed to hear this. It meant that her kidneys were still functioning and she was finally being rehydrated. I called to Alice softly and she was there instantaneously. I glanced down at the bed as I lifted Bella out of it and Alice nodded in understanding. I carried Bella into the bathroom so she could relieve herself. When we returned to the bedroom, I was pleased to find Alice had completed changing the sheets. Bella was unconscious again before I got her back in bed. Alice silently asked, _"Isn't there anything else we can do for her?" _

I shook my head. "They don't even know what it is yet. Her blood samples have been sent to the CDC. We just have to wait and keep her comfortable."

Alice looked sad, and then her face went blank. I listened in on her vision. It seemed to be limited to the next few hours of Bella tossing and turning. I could see that Alice was frustrated so I didn't say anything. I climbed back into the bed with Bella and waited, stroking her hair.

She, indeed, tossed and turned throughout the rest of the morning. Occasionally she moaned, but nothing sounded like coherent speech. By noon-time, I couldn't take any more.

"Carlisle, she has been like this for twelve hours. We have to do something."

"I know, Edward. I am going to the hospital to look at the reports and make some calls."

"Don't be long."

"I won't. Just continue to keep her cool." He looked at me for a long minute and I could see that he was debating about making me go hunt.

"No, Carlisle. I am not going to hunt right now."

"Alright, Edward. It was just a suggestion."

Carlisle returned within the hour, and as soon as I heard his thoughts, I bolted out of the bed. I rushed down the stairs and yelled, "Alice, go keep Bella cool."

I stormed into the garage and met Carlisle as he got out of his car. "What do you mean she may need to go to Virginia?"

"Calm down, Edward."

"What is going on, Carlisle? I know you are keeping something from me. I can tell when you don't want me reading your mind. Tell me what is wrong with Bella!" I was shouting at him now. I felt badly about it, but I needed answers.

"She is very ill, Edward."

"Really? You THINK?" I said angrily.

"I'm not equipped to take care of her here. She is going to need oxygen soon, and possibly a ventilator, or haven't you noticed her breathing?"

"I've noticed."

"She has a… rare… flu virus. She probably caught it overseas. She is going to have pneumonia soon, if she doesn't already. Bella needs help, or she is not going to make it."

Carlisle's words hit me like a wrecking ball. "What do you mean she's not going to make it?" I noticed that he was reciting poetry, of all things, in his mind.

"I mean she could die from this, Edward. The way I see it, you have two choices. You can take her to Virginia to the National Institute of Health and let my friend try to treat her, or you can take her directly to Alaska and change her now. It is up to you. You don't have much time to decide though. I will need a decision this afternoon."

I was stunned. I leaned against my car and put my head in my hands. I started sobbing. Esme came in quietly and took my hands away from my face.

"Edward, you have to do what is best for Bella. You can't let your emotions push you into a rash decision. I know that whatever you decide will be right. Don't forget what Bella wanted."

I stood there quietly for a moment, then charged past Esme and Carlisle and went back upstairs to Bella. Alice looked at me sadly when she got out of the bed.

"What did you see, Alice?"

"I don't know if Virginia is a good option, Edward. The outcome was fuzzy, but it didn't look good."

"I can't just take her away and change her like this. I don't know what to do Alice." I was in a quandary. I felt strongly that if Bella were able to have a say, she would ask me to just change her. It was coming soon anyway. I had just hoped to have some more good times with her in the days ahead when we would move. I had wanted her to see the new house in Alaska so she would not awaken in a strange place. I wanted her to tell Charlie goodbye properly. Alice remained quietly at my side while I struggled with what I knew I had to do. Finally, I decided that this was a decision that would impact the whole family, so I asked Alice to gather everyone together at Bella's bedside in half an hour.

"And call the damn dogs," I said to her as she left the room.

Alice nodded and took off down the stairs. I could hear the panic in everyone's minds when Alice told Rose, Emmett, and Jasper what was going on. They had just come in from a quick hunt.

Bella was shivering so I covered her up with a sheet. She rolled over, but all she did was moan. I was miserable seeing her like this. I started blaming myself for taking her overseas. I knew it wasn't my fault she was ill, but somehow I felt responsible, like I always did when it came to Bella being ill or hurt on my watch. I gathered her up into my arms and laid her back against my bare chest, waiting for everyone to arrive.

I heard Jacob's mind yelling at me before he got to the house. I snarled. _If he doesn't shut up… _I sensed that he was flanked by Seth and Sam. _Sam came? _They knocked on the front door and Esme let them in.

I laid Bella back down on the bed and pulled my shirt back on.

I sat stiffly on the bed next to her as my family, and the three werewolves entered the room. Everyone's faces and minds reflected my bleak mood.

"Thank you all for being here. We are all here for Bella. We need to make some decisions."

Jacob walked to the other side of the bed and looked at her. He looked at me angrily and said, "What did you do to her?"

I coolly replied, "I didn't do anything to her, Jacob. She picked up a virus somewhere between here and Italy. It could have been on the plane going over, while we were there," and then I glared at him, "or before we left."

"The point is," I continued, "Bella is very ill. She probably will not survive. I have two options, but I need all of your input to make my decision."

Everyone but Jacob nodded in agreement. Jacob's fists clenched at his side. "What are you GOING to do to her?"

I ignored his outburst and went on, "Sam, the reason I had my sister call for you and your pack mates," I glanced at Jacob, "is because one of the options would break the treaty. I don't want to do that without trying to work that out amongst all of us first."

Sam nodded and said, "I appreciate you including us, Cullen. It makes my decisions easier when I know all of the information up front," he glanced at Jacob, "and not second hand."

I looked at Carlisle and said, "Carlisle, could you go over our dilemma and our options with everyone?"

I had noticed that Bella was sweating again, and I went to get a cold washcloth to put on her neck. When I returned, Jacob was sitting on the bed next to her pushing her hair out of her face. I bristled immediately, but his thoughts were full of concern for Bella. He pulled his hand back quickly when I sat down on her other side.

I put the washcloth on her neck and then placed my hand on her forehead. I looked sideways at Carlisle. Carlisle sent me a message with his thoughts to turn up the flow of the IV fluid, so I did. Then, I sat back against the headboard and pulled Bella up into my lap, placing her burning hot back against my chest. Her breathing was getting more erratic and I tried to hide my panic from everyone.

While I was taking care of Bella, Carlisle was explaining to everyone that Bella had a rare flu. He told them of his friend at NIH in Virginia who had agreed to see her, but it would mean taking Bella to Virginia, and there was no guarantee she would survive. In fact, there was no guarantee she would survive the trip at this point.

Bella moaned and coughed. She said, "I'm hot, Edward." Everyone looked at her. This was the first coherent thing she had said in several hours.

I ran my hand down the side of her face and said, "Bella? Can you hear me, love?"

No response.

I shifted her a bit on my lap so that I could see her face. She was so pale and so ill looking. Her eyes were sunken in and she had large dark circles under them. Her skin looked pasty and almost a gray color.

Carlisle came over and put some morphine in her IV. He looked down at me and said, "She needs the oxygen, Edward." I knew that he was right. I glanced at Rosalie who immediately ran out of the room and downstairs. She came back almost instantly with a bottle of oxygen. Carlisle put the tube in Bella's nose and turned on the oxygen bottle. No one else spoke.

Jacob took Bella's hand and held it. I glared at him and said, "She is hot enough without you making her hotter, Jacob. I would appreciate it if you kept your hands to yourself."

He pulled back his hand and mumbled, "Sorry."

I felt a wave of calm wash over me, and nodded in thanks to Jasper. My anxiety was now at a manageable level, and for that I was grateful.

I looked around the room at all the people there who loved Bella. All of their thoughts were focused on her and her well-being. Esme and Alice were silently sobbing next to the window. Sam and Seth kept shifting back and forth looking uncomfortable. Jacob sat on the other side of the bed and stared at her. Emmett stood with his arm around Rosalie who looked to be on the verge of joining Esme and Alice. Jasper went to Alice and put his arm around her. Carlisle stood next to me with his hand on my shoulder.

I looked down at my precious Bella. She was so fragile. I could hardly hold back my sobs, and when I couldn't hold them back any longer, I let them go. I looked up at everyone imploringly. Jacob could not hide the shock on his face, nor could he hide his thoughts. _He is actually crying? Maybe he really does love her…_

Carlisle spoke again. "Our other alternative is to change her now. We would like to move her first, if possible. We have already bought a home in Alaska for this purpose."

Carlisle walked over to Sam and said, "I know it is against the treaty, Sam, but it may be the only way we can save her. You can see she is deteriorating every minute. There is no medicine for this. It has to run its course. It has a high mortality rate." He looked back at me, and then back to Sam and said, "I'm not sure that we want to wait and find out if Bella is one of the lucky ones with her history."

Sam looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "This is what Bella ultimately wanted anyway?"

"Yes, it is," I answered.

Sam said, "Can I have a few minutes? I need to speak with the pack before I make a decision."

Carlisle nodded and Sam gestured to Seth and Jacob.

Jacob looked at Sam and said, "Do whatever you think is the right thing, Sam. I'm not leaving her, as long as Edward doesn't mind if I stay with her."

In Carlisle's mind, he told me to let Jacob stay. I noticed that he was still reciting poetry and was curious what he wasn't telling me, but pushed that aside.

"You can stay, Jacob, at least for a time. If we go through with this, it will be too dangerous for you to stay after she wakes up."

Jacob scoffed at me but said, "I'll stay as long as you will let me. I want to be here for her. I am still her friend and I think she would want me to be here."

"Fine," I answered. I was not in the mood to argue with him and I didn't want Bella to hear us arguing, just in case she remembered it.

Sam nodded and he and Seth left.

Bella was getting restless again and I looked to Carlisle for support. He checked her over and said, "I think she needs to empty her bladder again." I was frustrated that my two medical degrees were not offering me any help. I didn't seem to be able to get past my terror about Bella being so ill to think straight.

Rose and Alice came over, picked her up, and carried her to the bathroom. I could hear them coaxing her and Bella moaning, but not saying anything that made any sense.

Jasper and Emmett came over and stood next to me. Jasper sent another wave of calm over the room. Emmett clapped his hand on my back and said, "Look at it this way, Edward. You will be saving her instead of killing her like you thought before."

I nodded and said, "I know, but it doesn't feel right with her incoherent like this. She should have her say, regardless. I know it is what she wants, but I never expected to have to do it like this."

Jacob's words echoed his thoughts when he said, "Do you think you could let her die if that was what she asked for?"

I thought about that. _Would I? Could I? _I wasn't really sure. I would be lost without Bella. As much as I had wanted her to stay human, I didn't know if I could let her at the risk of losing her forever. I looked at Jacob and said, "I really don't know, Jacob. I know that I cannot live without her. As far as letting her die if she asked me to, I suppose I would have to if that was her wish."

Jacob nodded and sat quietly. His thoughts went over my answer and surprisingly, I found that he felt pretty much the same way. He didn't know if he could ask me not to change her if it meant her dying, but if she asked us to let her die, he didn't know if he could abide by her decision, but felt he owed it to her to do so.

I said, "Exactly. That is my struggle here, Jacob. You do understand."

Jacob nodded slowly as Alice and Rosalie re-appeared with a partially awake Bella who was trying to walk.

"…can walk...myself…" she gasped.

Jacob and I both jumped up to help her back onto the bed. I put the oxygen back on her and Jacob hung her IV back up on the hook on the wall.

Bella looked around the room and said, "Edward? Who died?"

"No one, love. You are just very sick and everyone is worried about you. Try to rest."

Every breath she took was work for her, and I could see it was wearing her out. Carlisle came over and helped to prop her up on the pillows so she could breathe a little easier. He turned up her oxygen. _She is going to need the ventilator soon, Edward._ I nodded.

I held her hand and watched as her eyes closed and she leaned back. Jasper sent another wave of calm over the room and I saw Bella relax immediately. Her breathing slowed and she looked almost serene.

Jacob was thinking that he wished that Bella would have acknowledged that he was there, but immediately went the other direction thinking how selfish he was to have thought that. He looked at me with remorse in his eyes. I was somewhat surprised by this change in Jacob, but didn't dwell on it for long. Bella needed my focus to remain on her. I turned my eyes back to her and waited for Sam to return. He must have run a ways into the forest because I could not hear him or Seth.

Alice, Rosalie, Esme, Emmett, and Jasper were all now whispering in the corner. I could hear them talking about the things they needed to get ready to take with us, and what we would leave behind. They speculated on what vehicles we would need to take, and what vehicle would be satisfactory for Bella and me to ride in. I surmised they were not going to let me drive. I didn't care. I needed to be with Bella.

I knew that Carlisle had already purchased the house in Alaska for all of us to live in while Bella was a newborn. We had not specifically discussed the home, but I had read it in his thoughts. It seemed like a nice enough log home. It would be big enough for all of us to have privacy, but also space together.

Carlisle had already hired on at the small hospital in the nearby town. The rest of us would be staying at home with Bella at first. As she calmed, we would all decide what to do next.

These thoughts were overwhelming me with decisions to make and planning to do when I heard Sam and Seth return. Their thoughts about the conversation with the pack were not clear so until they re-entered our bedroom, I didn't know what the verdict had been.

Sam came in and sat on the edge of the bed nearest to me. He looked at Bella and then at me. Carlisle came and stood next to me silently.

Sam spoke first and said, "There is no other way to save her?"

I looked at Carlisle and he answered, "We truly don't know, Sam. We can wait and see if she comes out of it, but if she gets worse, we have to know whether to proceed. We want Bella to be able to come back to Forks later on if she wants to. That is our main concern, other than whether she lives."

Sam looked over at Jacob and then said, "The treaty will stand if, and only if, you do it to save her life. And you have to keep her away from here until she is in control of her thirst, even if that is 100 years."

When he finished speaking, Sam was looking directly at me. I reached for his hand to shake it. Sam took it and shook it firmly, then shook Carlisle's hand.

Then he spoke again and said, "If she improves, and this is not something that you need to do to save her life, I would like to speak to Bella before you proceed with anything else. Agreed?"

I nodded in agreement and so did Carlisle.

Jacob spoke up and asked, "Sam, if the Cullens will allow it, may I travel with them to Alaska to help with Bella on the trip?" Sam eyed him for a moment and silently nodded his head.

He stood up and said, "I am going to remain on watch nearby in the woods until you leave. I will need to speak with you before you go, Jacob. Seth and I need to get going. Is there anything else we can do for you before we leave?"

I stood and shook his hand again. "No, Sam, thank you for coming here today." I glanced over at Jacob and said, "We will be in touch."

He nodded and walked out of the room.

Seth came over to me and hugged me. He looked as though he was going to cry and said, "Please take good care of her, Edward."

"I promise."

Then Seth too, was gone.

Jasper and Alice came over to me and Jasper said, "We are leaving immediately, Edward. We want to get there ahead of everyone and get things settled. We will make sure that everything we need is there and stocked."

I nodded in agreement. Alice hugged me and then ran out of the room. I could tell she was as upset about Bella's illness as I was, if not more. Alice was upset that she had not seen it coming or what was going to happen. It confused her and made her question her abilities. I wanted to tell her that it was not her fault, but knew that conversation was going to have to wait.

Emmett came over and said, "Rose and Esme are going to leave as soon as they get some things packed. I think the rest of us will be traveling together as soon as I run a quick errand."

I looked at him and said, "An Escalade?"

"Yeah, we'll need the room. I've wanted one for a while anyway." He shrugged.

"What are you going to do with your Jeep?" Carlisle asked.

"Ah, I'm just going to trade it in. It's time."

I chuckled at Emmett picturing himself driving the big black Escalade around with big gold chains around his neck and his sweat suit unzipped with no shirt on underneath.

"Hey! Get out of my head, Edward!" Emmett said and stalked out of the room with, _"…Come on girl, shake that ass for me, shake that ass for me…" _going through his mind.

I shook my head and immediately blocked his thoughts. That was the last thing I needed to hear. Emmett sure had a way of riling me up.

Carlisle was checking Bella over again and talking to Jacob about what was going on with her. I heard him say in his mind, _"I hope we make it in time."_

I looked down at Bella, so small and frail in the large bed. I couldn't bear to see her like this. It was torture to me every second she was ill.

Jacob asked, "What are you going to tell Charlie?"

"I am going to call him after we leave and tell him she is ill and we are taking her to Virginia. After that, as far as he is concerned, we went to Dartmouth after her miraculous recovery."

Jacob looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "Okay. I won't interfere then."

"Good," I said sternly. I heard his mind thinking about interfering and was happy with his decision to stay out of it. I didn't want to have to tear him apart with Bella sick.

I slipped off my shirt and got back into bed with Bella. I pulled her back against my chest again. Her skin felt like it was on fire. I put as much of her against me as I could.

Carlisle was in to check on Bella again before long and he changed her oxygen to a mask. Her breathing was getting worse and it seemed like she was wearing out. Her heart was beating rapidly, but it was weaker than before. I eyed Carlisle with distrust because now he was keeping me out of his thoughts by reciting Shakespeare.

"Shakespeare, Carlisle?"

"I don't want you to be alarmed. You are already far too anxious about her condition."

"I will be much more alarmed if you don't tell me what you are thinking. I have been to medical school twice you know."

Carlisle stopped the Shakespeare and his thoughts flooded into my mind. _She is getting worse. She needs medicine. I am going to have to go into town and get some. I just don't have everything I need here. She is trying so hard to breathe through all the fluid building up her in lungs that her heart is giving out. She will never make it to Alaska if I don't sedate her and put her on a ventilator. You may have to save her on the way anyway._ His mind immediately went back to Shakespeare.

"What do I need to do, Carlisle? Do I need to do it now? I need you to be with me when I do it. I need everyone. I need Alice! Damn it, why did she leave already!"

All the commotion wakened Jacob who had fallen asleep in the chair. He looked at us both bleary eyed. "What's going on?"

"She's worse. Carlisle is going to have to go to the hospital to get some different medicine and some other things for her."

"Is she dying?"

"Yes," Carlisle and I said together.

Jacob jumped up and ran outside. He was going to let the pack know what was going on. I looked over at Carlisle and said, "What are you waiting for?"

He left immediately. Esme came upstairs and stood by my side with her hand on my shoulder. I was sobbing. _I didn't want it to be this way. I wanted more time. I wanted so many things. _

After Jacob alerted the pack that things were going downhill for us, he came back and said, "Sam said to do what you have to do, Edward. The treaty is still in effect."

I looked at him curiously. I thought we had already hashed all this out with Sam when he was here, but from Jacob's thoughts I could see that he was just reassuring me and telling me that if it needed to happen sooner, that would be fine, as long as we left with her before she woke up.

I calmed myself down and asked Jacob, "Is there anything you need to go pack to take with us?"

"No, I'm good."

"Would you mind helping Esme get some of mine and Bella's things?"

"Nah, I can do that. What do you need?"

I listed the things I wanted to take, including several of the things Bella had brought from Charlie's. I looked at Esme and told her to make sure someone went with Emmett and bought Bella a laptop. I made sure that Bella had on her locket and that I had mine, then I asked them to wrap up her portrait to take with us. I looked around the room and said, "Take a few books for us. I will send for the rest later."

Esme and Jacob quietly took care of the tasks I had asked of them. I stayed where I was and held Bella until Carlisle returned.

When Carlisle came back in, his mood was grim. He carried a large box full of items and placed it on the floor. He looked at me, while reciting Shakespeare in his head again, and said, "I need you to step out, Edward. There are some things I need to do, and you are not going to like them."

"I can handle it, Carlisle."

"No," he said firmly. "I want you to leave. Go help Rosalie or something, just get out of here. When my thoughts are clear again, you can return."

Reluctantly I pulled myself out from under Bella and laid her gently back on the bed. She moaned, but did not open her eyes or speak. It seemed that all of her energy now focused on taking each breath. I kissed her forehead gently and touched her cheek. Her eyes fluttered and momentarily locked on mine, then closed again.

"That means you too, Jacob," I said before turning and walking out of the room at human speed, making sure that Jacob followed me. Then I dashed out of the house and into the woods, running at full speed. I ran several miles before I stopped.

When I stopped, I sat down on a boulder and cried until I could cry no more. I longed for tears. I heard Emmett's inner voice say, "_Where the hell did he go?" _before I saw him.

I sat there with my head in my hands. I was crushed. I felt like my whole happy world of just a couple of days ago had been viciously ripped out from under me.

Emmett walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "You all right, bro?"

"No."

"I know. I'm really sorry, Edward. I wish there was something I could do. You probably want to be alone right now, but Carlisle thought it best if you had company, so I guess that's what I am, company."

He faked a laugh, and then fell silent. His mind was racing trying to decide what he should say or do.

"You didn't need to come, Emmett. I am all right. I just want to be on our way. What time is it anyway?" I pulled out my pocket watch and clicked it open. _Three in the afternoon. How is Bella going to make it? _

I closed the watch and turned it over, reading the words there in Bella's handwriting, and then I opened the locket and stared at her picture. I slowly closed the locket and looked at Emmett who was lounging on the ground looking at the sky. He was reciting baseball statistics in his mind. _He's trying not to upset me._

"Why my Bella?" I croaked.

Emmett sat up and shook his head. "I don't know, Edward. I wish I did. She is just a magnet for bad things to happen to her. Maybe it's best this way. Maybe this is the way it is supposed to be. You are supposed to save her. You and Bella have always had some sort of connection. Maybe she willed herself to die so it would make it easier for you to save her. I don't know, but at least you know you have the power to save her."

"And damn her to an eternal darkness!" I cried.

"Oh come on, Edward. You don't really believe all that, do you? Our lives are not the easiest, but they are easier than most people in our place are. We have the support of our family when we need them and we have the ability to live halfway normal lives amongst the humans. And honestly, Edward, I don't believe that we lose our souls. I think that if we walked the earth as nomads feeding on people until we were nothing but animals, our souls would be lost, but we are not like that, Edward. Do you think that fiends like James and Victoria have the capacity to love and care for someone like each of us do our mates? I would die without Rosalie, Edward, just like you would die without Bella, and Carlisle without Esme, and Alice without Jasper. We are still ourselves, but we are strong and live forever. I don't think we would remain ourselves if we let our souls die too. I think that vampires like James let their souls die, let them be devoured by the monster that tortures us all. The difference between them and us is that we try to hold on to some piece of our humanity and _not _be soulless monsters like that. I don't know. That's just what I think anyway."

It was the most profound thing that Emmett had ever uttered to me in his life. I stared at him wondering where this insight and wisdom had come from.

"You really believe that, Emmett?"

"Yeah, I really do. If I thought of it any other way, I couldn't go on living."

I thought about this for a few minutes while Emmett went back to reciting baseball statistics in his head. I half-smiled when he did because it reminded me that this was still my brother Emmett sitting here. I did not know Emmett to be much of a deep thinker, but his words had me thinking deeply. I thought about the chimera at Notre Dame and what Bella had said. _"You see, Edward? You haven't been forgotten."_ I had never wanted Bella to be right so much since I had known her.

I stood up and said, "Let's get back. Maybe Carlisle is done."

"Yeah, and Rose will kick my ass if I don't get back there and help her pack her forty-seven boxes of makeup," Emmett said laughing as he took off running towards the house. Over his shoulder he yelled, "Race ya!"

I slowed as I neared the house, having overtaken Emmett in no time. I listened with my sixth sense to hear Carlisle's thoughts. He was still reciting Shakespeare, but occasionally I heard, "_You can come back now, Edward."_

I headed inside and Esme met me at the door. "Don't be alarmed when you see her, Edward." I saw a vision in her mind of Bella with many more tubes coming out of her than before and she was on a ventilator. Before I fell to my knees, I raced up the stairs.

When I reached our bed, I did fall to my knees. I reached for her hand and looked at Carlisle.

"She is okay for now, Edward. This will sustain her until we get her settled in Alaska and get down to business," Carlisle said in as soothing a voice as he could muster.

I looked across the bed at Jacob who was now sitting in the chair crying. I let my mind wander past the thought that Bella was lucky to have so many people that loved her so much.

"Thanks for being here, Jake," I said and meant it.

Jacob just nodded his head and stared at Bella with tears on his cheeks.

Emmett came to the door and said, "I'm taking off for Port Angeles. The guy at the dealership said he would meet me there at five. I hear Bella needs a new laptop?"

I nodded.

"I'll pick it up for her on my way back. That way everyone else can stay here with her."

I nodded again and said, "Thanks, Emmett. Don't be long."

"You bet. Be back before you know it!"

Carlisle stayed with Bella and me through the rest of the afternoon. He kept her medicated and promised me that she was not in pain. I stroked her hand and talked to her telling her how much I, and everyone else, loved her.

While I sat there with her, I thought about all the things that had happened between us, good and bad. Memories flooded my mind. I could see Bella the first time I met her, and I remembered the way her scent made me feel. I saw her face when I left her in the forest, and remembered how I had died inside when I walked away from her. I remembered her face when I opened my eyes in Volterra thinking I was dead and she was an angel. I remembered that dreadful night in the tent when I was helpless to do anything for her and Jacob had to keep her warm. I remembered how her lips felt on my lips, and how warm and soft her hands were. I remembered the vision she was on our wedding day. I thought of how happy she had been on our honeymoon and how much she enjoyed all the things I was able to show her in that short time.

I still had plans for Bella, many plans in fact. There was no way I could lose her now. As much as I had wanted Bella to stay human, I knew that I couldn't live without her. There were so many things I still wanted to do with her, to show her. Most of all, I just wanted desperately to be with her forever. Forever seemed like such a long time without her. In our last few days together, I had actually started to look forward to some of the things that would be easier and different for us once she was changed.

I decided then, that whatever it took, I had to have Bella in my life. If she was angry with me for what I had to do, I would spend eternity trying to gain her forgiveness, but letting her die was not an option.

When I finally made this decision, a weight lifted off me. I felt at ease for the first time that I could remember. I stopped focusing on how sick Bella was, and focused instead on how we were going to keep her alive until I could change her and start the next chapter of our lives together.

I was deep in thought about this when Emmett returned. I heard the unfamiliar vehicle drive up with Emmett's familiar bass thumping music playing.

I looked at Carlisle and said, "We have to go now, Carlisle. There's no time."

It took all of us to get Bella into the back seat of the big black Escalade that Emmett bought. Carlisle hooked up the machine that was breathing for her and got all of her other peripherals situated. He and I sat in the middle seats while Jacob and Emmett sat in the front.

Rose and Esme had left an hour or so before us with the vehicles they drove crammed full of everyone's belongings. We called them to let them know we were on our way and they wished us luck.

Bella was still heavily sedated and did not even respond to our moving her. She continued to let the machine breathe for her and her heart sounded a tiny bit stronger. I was encouraged by this, but knew it was a false sense of security and put it out of my mind.

Once we were well on our way, I pulled out my phone and dialed the number I was dreading to call. Charlie answered on the first ring.

"Chief Swan, may I help you?"

"Charlie, it's Edward."

"Oh hey, Edward, what's up?"

"There is a bit of a problem and I wanted to let you know what is going on."

"Oh? What kind of problem?"

"Well, it seems Bella took a turn for the worst in the last twenty-four hours. She's very ill, Charlie."

"I can be there in five minutes."

"No, Charlie, wait. We aren't there."

Panic rose in his voice when he said, "Is she in the hospital?"

I tried to remain calm knowing I had rehearsed this lie in my head about a thousand times in the last few hours. "No, Charlie, she is not in the hospital, but we are on our way to Virginia. Carlisle knows an excellent infectious disease doctor that works at NIH. He believes that Bella has a rare flu virus and thinks that he can treat her."

Carlisle was nodding his head in agreement as I spoke. I glanced at Jacob who was sitting with his back to me. His mind was trying to decide if lying to Charlie like this was a good idea.

"Do I need to make arrangements to come out there?"

"No, Charlie, that won't be necessary. We don't know how contagious she is. You might have already been exposed, but if not, you don't want to be. I promise to call and give you daily updates."

"Edward, are you sure I don't need to come? I think I need to be with my daughter."

"Charlie, if it starts to look like things are not going to be improving in two or three days, I will buy you the plane ticket myself."

"Have you talked to Renee?"

"Not yet. I was hoping that you could talk to her for us. Bella needs me right now and I really only felt comfortable leaving her side long enough to make this one call. She really didn't want me to tell you or Renee at all, but I knew that would be a bad decision, especially if she should get worse."

"Well, I'm glad you called, Edward. Is there anything I can do from here?"

"Just keep your phone close. If it has been too long and you haven't heard from me, don't hesitate to call. If I don't answer, I'll call you back right away."

"Well, okay. I guess, if there is nothing else I can do, I will wait to hear from you."

"Thanks, Charlie. I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah, tell Bells, well, tell her I love her, okay?"

"Sure thing, Charlie. I will tell her."

I hung up the phone, looked at Carlisle, and nodded. The question running through his mind had been, _"Did he buy it?"_

"Jacob, Charlie took it just fine. You don't need to worry."

"Okay. I'll stop."

"Thanks."

We finally reached the ferry that would take us the rest of the way to our new home. I was not happy that we had to rely on such slow transportation, but there was no other way, other than to run, and Bella would not survive that now.

I knew that the six hours we would have to spend on the ferry would be excruciating. All passengers were expected to vacate their vehicles and go to the passenger decks. There would be no way for us to move Bella and we did not want a lot of questions being asked. The back windows of the SUV were darkly tinted, so we decided that Jacob and Emmett would go to the passenger deck, and Carlisle would stay behind with Bella and me. After we were securely parked and Jacob and Emmett were gone, Carlisle and I laid low while waiting to be underway. Carlisle continued to give Bella the medications he was using to sedate her so she would not awaken en route.

Once the ship was underway, we relaxed a bit, though I remained alert for nearby ship workers who might be curious about the large shiny SUV. As I was scanning the minds of those on board the ship, I noted that Carlisle had shifted from Shakespeare to Dante's Divine Comedy. I watched him for a moment as he stared out the back window.

_And, as a second ray will issue from the first  
__and rise again up to its source,  
__even as a pilgrim longs to go back home,  
__so her gaze, pouring through my eyes  
__on my imagination, made itself my own, and I,  
__against our practice, set my eyes upon the sun._

He was reciting from the Cantica Paradiso. Heaven. I was briefly mesmerized, listening to Carlisle's inner voice recite the poem in perfect Italian.

_Then she, having sighed with pity,  
__bent her eyes on me with just that look  
__a mother casts on her delirious child,  
__and said: 'All things created have an order  
__in themselves, and this begets the form  
__that lets the universe resemble God.'_

"Carlisle." I could not listen to it any longer. He was hiding something from me. I had known it for several hours, but had not pondered it until now. I had to know what he was keeping from me. If there was anyone in my family that could keep me out of their thoughts, it was Carlisle. Usually, he was much more subtle than spending two days reciting random poetry, Shakespeare, and Dante. If he was resorting to these methods, it meant that he was having a difficult time keeping me out of his head. I had been so engrossed in Bella that I had not realized until now that Carlisle had a secret, a secret that he was going to have to tell me before I went mad.

"Yes, Edward?"

"Tell me what you're hiding." He looked at me and raised one eyebrow slightly, but never ceased reciting the poem in his mind.

'_Here the higher creatures see the imprint  
__of the eternal Worth, the end  
__for which that pattern was itself set forth.  
_'I_n that order, all natures have their bent  
__according to their different destinies,  
__whether nearer to their source or farther from it.  
_'_They move, therefore, toward different harbors  
__upon the vastness of the sea of being,  
__each imbued with instinct that impels it on its course._

"What makes you think I am hiding something, Edward?" he asked calmly.

"Robert Louis Stevenson, William Shakespeare, and Dante."

"I see."

'_This instinct carries fire toward the moon,  
__this is the moving force in mortal hearts,  
__this binds the earth to earth and makes it one.  
_'_This bow impels not just created things  
__that lack intelligence, but also those  
__that have both intellect and love._

"Carlisle, please stop. You need to tell me what you are keeping from me. It must be something about Bella. I need to know what it is."

'_Providence, which regulates all this,  
__makes with its light forever calm the heaven  
__that contains the one that whirls with greatest speed,  
_'_and there now, as to a place appointed,  
__the power of that bowstring bears us,  
__aimed, as is all it shoots, at a joyful target._

"Carlisle. I do not want to become angry with you. Just tell me what it is. I can handle it. For Bella's sake, I have to be able to handle it." The recitation stopped, but he somehow blocked me from getting in.

"I don't want you to read it in my mind, Edward, so don't try."

"I won't." I listened carefully to the drone of all the other minds of the people on the ship. I relaxed and let myself hear only the drone, I didn't try to pick out anything, just the smattering of inner voices.

"First of all, I need to apologize to you, Edward. There was no way for me to see this coming."

I had difficulty grasping what this statement meant.

"I know that you are going to blame yourself, and I want you to think long and hard about that. You had no way of knowing either."

_What is he talking about? _"I will try to keep that in mind."

"I want to be absolutely clear on this, Edward. You are not to blame yourself."

"I can't promise anything, Carlisle. I don't know what you are about to tell me."

"Bella has Spanish Influenza, Edward. The same strain that… well, it matches the strain that was in Chicago in 1918. It has mutated, but it has the same RNA pattern."

I stared at my father. In that instant, I went numb. I could not feel, I could not think, I could not see. I fell into an abyss of agony, the likes of which I had never felt before. I choked out one word. "How?"

"I can only theorize, Edward. I can't really say…for sure."

I couldn't speak. I stared at a piece of lint on the carpet. I counted the threads in the carpet, and I waited to hear what I already knew Carlisle was going to say.

"I think that, perhaps, somehow the… virus… lay dormant in your… fluids. Your body temperature must have remained cool enough for it to stay… alive… and it mutated to remain… alive. I… never thought that it would be possible, Edward, or I would have… checked."

"Checked?" I said without looking up. I listened to the sound of Bella's ventilator breathing for her. _Because of me._

"I would have insisted that you… get rid of your initial fluids before you and Bella… consummated your union. I guess some part of me thought that you… probably had already done that at some time."

I shook my head slowly. "I never… I… " I couldn't finish. As I began to assimilate what was happening, a thought occurred to me. "What about Jacob and Charlie? And all the other humans in Paris that Bella exposed?" I began to panic. What had I done? It was bad enough that I had made Bella sick, but what about all the others that could become ill because of my ignorance?

"I told you that the virus mutated."

I looked back up at him. My mind was racing with the implications of what I had done. I was trying to wrap my head around what he was saying when he continued, "It is not contagious in the way it was when you got it, Edward. It can't be passed via a respiratory route any longer. It has to be direct contact… with fluids."

"So, you are telling me that I made Bella sick and she is the only one that I made sick? She can't make anyone else sick unless she… shares fluids… with them?"

Carlisle nodded.

"What are the implications of this at the CDC? What did you tell them? They are going to come after us, Carlisle."

"No, they won't come after us."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I didn't send the samples in Bella's name, Edward."

I was confused. He was still blocking me and I couldn't dive into his mind to see what he was thinking. "Whose name did you send them in?"

"Yours."

"Mine?"

"I suspected so I sent in the samples under Edward Masen. I told them that I had been cleaning out a house that belonged to a doctor who had worked through the pandemic and found these samples, well preserved. They… thanked me for sending them and asked me if they could use them for research."

"How could you keep this from me, Carlisle?"

"I knew how you would react, son. Bella needs you. She doesn't need your guilt, she needs your love, and she needs your protection. You beating yourself up for it is not going to help Bella so I am going to do something I have never done before. I forbid you to concern yourself with it. What's done is done. This is what Bella wanted anyway and your guilt will not be healthy for your relationship once this is over. You are not to confuse her by telling her about this as soon as she awakens so that you can apologize to her for something that she doesn't understand. Do you hear me, Edward? I will not have you ruining your relationship with Bella over this. It was obviously meant to be this way for whatever reason. You and Bella have a connection that no one understands. For some reason, everything that has happened between you was supposed to happen, including this. Just concentrate on your love for her, and you will get through this."

My thoughts turned from pain and anger to disbelief and repudiation of Carlisle's demands. I turned to look at Bella. If not for the tube in her throat, she would look like she was sleeping. She appeared peaceful. I thought over what Carlisle had said, and I thought over the manifestation of Bella's illness. She had tried to keep it from me that she was ill. I'm sure she did not want me to worry about her. What if I had known sooner? It didn't matter. As I watched Bella's chest rise and fall, I knew that whatever events had led to the situation at hand were not important. Bella and I would be together forever. I nodded to Carlisle and began planning for our future. It would be a long future, indeed. I would have to find plenty to do to keep us busy.

When we were finally able to disembark, it was a blessing. We were running out of battery power for all of Bella's machines and monitors. Emmett drove like a mad man to get to the new house. Carlisle gave him directions and I was relieved when I saw the house just a little ways down the road. I put aside all the things that I had been thinking about during our time on the ferry so I could concentrate on what was going to be happening in the next few hours.

I didn't take any time to absorb what the house or the area looked like, I just braced myself for what would soon be coming. I thought about the fact that I probably should have hunted before we left Forks, but knew there was probably not time for that now.

Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Esme all met us outside when we drove up. We got Bella and all of her things unloaded from the vehicle and took her inside. Alice had converted the dining room into Bella's sick room and we placed her in there.

Once we got her settled, everyone else went to unload the rest of the belongings that we had stuffed into the SUV. Rose seemed rather excited about the Escalade, though she had chided Emmett for buying it before she left.

I went to clean up and upon leaving the bathroom, Alice caught me in the hallway. She grabbed my hands and looked into my eyes and her thoughts of Bella overwhelmed me. She gave me the vision she had when I had made my decision about changing her because I could not bear to live without her.

_Bella was breathtakingly beautiful with pale skin and crimson eyes. She was graceful and light on her feet. She was not sick, and she was not clumsy anymore. And…she was laughing. _

I hugged Alice and thanked her. She hugged me back and said, "Go, Edward. You are going to have to do it now. If you don't, Bella is going to die within the hour. That was the vision I had before you became firm on the decision to change her."

I quickly went to Bella's makeshift sick room and prepared myself for what I had to do. Jacob and the family all gathered round and offered me their support. I sat down next to Bella, took her hand, and said, "I won't let you die, Bella. I hope you are not angry with me for what I must do now, but I can't live without you. We are all here with you, and we will all stay with you and help you. Please forgive me for this happening this way."

**End Note: Congratulations to all of you who guessed right! Edward has a prize for you...free massage! Showtunesjesus is first because she was the first to guess!! Don't forget to review!!!!! You guys are all great and I love you all!**


	16. Chapter 16 Transformation

**_A/N This chapter has a few POV changes. I'm sorry about that for those of you who don't like that, but it was the way that it worked out the best to be written. I have already told some of you this, but now I am telling you all... this is my favorite chapter that I have written for this story so far. It absolutely flowed onto the screen just the way you see it. I didn't re-write it 12 times like I usually do. When I read it through tonight prior to posting, I cried. I told my daughter that someone else must have written it, because it could not have been me. I am anxious/nervous to see what all of you think of it. Some may not like it, but I hope the majority of you do. _**

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. I do own this story, several cases of red wine, and I am holding Edward hostage.****

**_Welcome to Bella's Transformation_**

**Edward**

Carlisle put his hand on my shoulder and said, "We are still going to stick to the plan, Edward. Just because Bella is ill, it does not change our plan of action. Actually, it makes it a little easier because she is already heavily sedated."

"Her heart is weak, Carlisle."

"Yes, it is. I don't think that changes anything. You still need to take as much blood as you dare. It just won't be as much as we had originally planned. You will have to pay attention to her heart and take care not to kill her."

"Carlisle, what should I do with, ah, the blood?"

Carlisle looked at me strangely. "I would think you would just drink it, Edward. It's going to be difficult to inject the venom and spit out the blood, you'll spit out the venom too." _Oh. Why didn't I think of that? Because if you start drinking it, you might not stop, nitwit. I should have hunted._

"Ankles and wrists first then? Heal the wounds, then to the neck?"

"I think that should do it, Edward. Inject as much venom as you can in her neck. It is closer to her heart and will be distributed into her system faster. You will have to remove the necessary blood from her neck. It will come out faster there."

"I know," I said, unable to hide my annoyance. _I have been to medical school twice in the last century. Not to mention the fact that I used to hunt humans. I know where the biggest veins are._

I had been so absorbed in my conversation with Carlisle that I had not noticed Jacob sitting in the corner bristling. His thoughts invaded my senses and I noted that his face mirrored them. I glared at him and said, "If you can't handle it, you shouldn't have come. She will die within the hour if we don't do this now."

"How do you know?" he sneered.

I looked at Alice who nodded her head sadly.

"Okay then, get on with it. Just know that if you kill her, even by accident, you will be the next one to go," he snarled at me.

"I'm counting on it," I said defiantly. _If I kill her, that is exactly what I want and what I deserve, and the only reason I let that foul-smelling mongrel come with us._

He looked rather pleased with himself. So much so that I studied his thoughts carefully to make sure he was not hoping I accidentally killed her. He wasn't, he was just celebrating the fact that he would be the one to kill me if I killed her. _Fine with me. If I kill her, I have nothing left to live for anyway. _

I glanced at Carlisle and he increased the morphine he already had running into Bella's vein. I had a thought and asked Carlisle, "What if I put the venom through there?" pointing at the IV in Bella's arm.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I'm just not sure that will work. It is something I have thought about, but I don't think Bella is the one you want to chance it on. I'm afraid the venom might disrupt the integrity of the tubing and not even get to her."

I nodded and looked back down at Bella. I was terrified. I knew that, no matter what, I had to maintain control of the monster within me. It was never more important than it was at this moment. I knew I was stalling, but I had to steel myself against what I had to do. I shoved aside all my feelings of guilt, fear, and grief that were boiling in my head like a volcano on the verge of eruption. I told myself that this was what Bella had wanted and that I knew, deep down, it was what I wanted as well. I had struggled with reconciling this within myself for so long, that all my feelings about it were still in upheaval and I knew that I could not think about that now. I would just have to deal with all of that later. Right now, I had to concentrate on the task at hand, and that task included saving the love of my life by killing her and possibly stealing her soul. Ironically, I would be killing her twice, once with the virus, and once with my venom.

Everyone in the room was blocking their thoughts from me in some way or another, except Rosalie, oddly. Her inner voice was saying, _"You should have done it when you met her and saved all of us all this trouble."_ Then, in an interesting turn, her inner voice changed and said, _"Oh, I'm sorry, Edward, I know you must have heard that. What a selfish thing for me to… It will be fine. I want to see you happy. I found Emmett to make me happy, you deserve it now."_ For some reason, Rosalie's thoughts, at this particular point in time, soothed me more than anyone else's would have. I gave her a grateful nod before looking around at everyone else.

"I truly hope that God has not forsaken us as I had believed for so long because in His name, you all had better do everything you can to stop me before I kill her if I can't stop myself."

Everyone in the room agreed. Alice touched my arm and said, "I haven't seen you killing her, Edward, but if something happens, we promise to stop you."

I reached for Alice's hand and squeezed it tightly. She nodded at me, and showed me the vision of Bella as a vampire again. I released her and walked to the end of the bed where my precious Bella was laying.

I gently picked up her leg and found my mark near her ankle. I stood there and inhaled deeply to allow her scent to wash over me. Even with all the medication in her blood, it still sang to me. I closed my eyes and let the burn engulf my throat, allowing the venom to pool in my mouth. I grieved for the scent of her blood, the sound of her heart beating in her chest, the blush that so easily rose to her cheeks, and for her human fragility that I would soon steal from her forever. After this, Bella's blood would never sing to me again.

***************

**Jacob**

I watched the bloodsucking-leech-that-stole-Bella pick up her leg and hold it as though it were something very fragile. I wondered if he was going to make love to her, or bite her. I had been trying to block my thoughts from him by remembering the words to some Nickelback song I heard on the radio on our way to Alaska, but let this one thought ripple through my mind before remembering to block my thoughts again.

I knew what he was doing was not easy, but I also knew that I didn't want it to be easy for him. In fact, I wanted it to be the hardest thing he has ever done. I wanted him to be miserable when he did it. I really wanted to kill him for it, even if he did not kill her, but I knew that was not possible. Sam had told me with his Alpha voice that I was not to harm any of the vampires while I was here. He only let me come because I love Bella so much and knew I would go anyway.

The bloodsucking-leech actually looked devastated just before he sunk his teeth into her ankle. He was fast, only sinking his teeth in long enough to bite and then… _What the HELL? He is LICKING it? Has he lost his freaking mind?_

The little pixie-looking-bloodsucker-that-sees-the-future flounced over to me and whispered, "Our venom can actually heal wounds too. Edward is healing the wounds he leaves so that Bella will not have scars once her transformation is complete."

I wasn't so sure I wanted to hear all the gory details, but I guess she felt better explaining the process to me so I listened intently. She went on, "The whole process usually takes approximately three days, give or take a few hours on either side. What Edward and Carlisle are hoping for is that by pulling out some of her blood, it will speed the process along slightly, though it is a shot in the dark because for some reason, I cannot see just how long it is going to take. I can't see Bella during her transformation at all, only after."

I watched Bella as the bloodsucker-that-I-hated-more-with-each-passing-second bit into her flesh. She did not move a muscle when he bit her the first time, the second, the third, or the fourth. If I would not have been able to hear her heartbeat, I would have sworn that she was already dead. The only sign of acknowledgement she showed was a slight increase in her heart rate with each bite.

The vampire-that-poses-as-a-doctor kept putting medicine in the tube in her arm the whole time and staring at the heart monitor and the machine that breathed for her.

The stinking-leech-called-Edward paused before he leaned into her neck. I sat on the edge of my seat to make sure I kept an eye on the bloodsucking bastard when he started drinking her blood.

****************

**Edward**

The first four bites were almost too easy. Her scent was making the venom pool in my mouth quickly so I was able to give her a large injection each time. My ever-present monster, the fiend, was dancing around in my head singing my praises each time my teeth sunk into her flesh. He screamed in pain each time I injected and released her, then carefully healed the wound. He tore at his hair and roared in my ear, _"You FOOL, just DRINK it!"_

All that I had left to do was this one last bite to her neck, and I had to do it quickly. If I did it correctly, in about three days, I would have my Bella back, or what was left of her. She would be different, I knew that, but hoped that eventually she would be my Bella again. I thought about all the times that Bella and I had discussed my soul, or the lack thereof, and prayed that she was right about it and would keep hers. With all of this swirling around in my brain, I tried to push the monster aside enough that he would not force me to kill her, but would still allow the venom to pool so that I could inject one last large dose into her neck before I was finished.

My mind listened to the thoughts of everyone in the room.

"_You can do this, Edward. Your love for her will overcome everything else."_ Esme, of course.

"_I trust you, son. I know that you will be able to complete this task, hard as it may be." _

"_Go for it, bro. Kick some ass!"_ I inwardly shook my head at Emmett's choice of vocabulary. I was curious as to why he always thought he had to fit in with the times if the times were so vulgar.

Rosalie's mind said, _"You can do it, Edward. Just finish it."_

Jasper was busy with some complicated military strategy, but sent a wave of calm over the room, for which I was grateful.

Alice still had the picture of Bella's beautiful vampire form, dancing and laughing, in her head.

I tried to ignore Jacob, whose thoughts were antagonistic in nature, _"So help me bloodsucker, you better not kill her."_

I leaned in to my Bella's beautiful, vulnerable, soft, warm neck and found my objective easily. Her quickened pulse made her vessels stand out like cords in her neck. I placed one hand under her head, pulled it gently to the side, and sunk my teeth in, quickly finding purchase.

The first mouthful of her blood was like a fine wine on my tongue. I savored the taste of it as the warm liquid ran down my throat quenching the burn that was raging there. As I felt the frenzied monster inside me start to rise back up, I slammed him back into the corners of my mind, just as I had when I was making love to Bella. I would not allow him to take this over. I had to have control over this, not him.

The second mouthful was even more luscious and delectable than the first. I started to feel as though I was floating on air as it trickled down my throat. I listened carefully to her heartbeat and it remained strong so I allowed the third mouthful of blood to enter my mouth and roll onto my tongue before letting it too, run down my throat and douse the unimaginable thirst that seemed to be building with each precious mouthful.

Her blood was like ambrosia to me, and each mouthful was more intoxicating than the last. I slowly drew it out, one mouthful at a time, luxuriating in its sweet taste and warmth. Mouthful after mouthful washed over my tongue and down my throat. I felt like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden partaking of the Forbidden Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. I was stealing something that did not belong to me, but it beguiled me so that I could not stop. The monster that lived in my mind was the Serpent, urging me to pillage the Tree until it was empty.

Distantly, I heard her heartbeat weakening and knew that I would have to stop soon. I steeled myself against the Serpent and rummaged through my mind for the strength to suspend my assault. I was unable to hear the minds of anyone else, or their voices. I chanced upon the vision that Alice had given me of Bella and clung to it for the power I knew that it would give me. I watched her glide around our new living room in the beautiful blue dress, spinning and laughing with delight. I drew upon the strength of my eternal love for her to stop allowing the monster to enjoy the delicacy that spilled over our tongue. The venom surged into my mouth and I instilled it into her vein as quickly as I could before wrenching my mouth away from her neck. I glanced up at Carlisle who nodded his head, smiling. I then expeditiously healed the wound I had created and bolted away from her.

I was trembling so, that I felt on the verge of collapse. My emotional state was annihilated and all I could think about was the sweet taste of the blood that I was denying myself. All of my thoughts became completely irrational and the monster drove my instinct to take me over. The voracity of my desire to finish her off enveloped my mind and, as though I were a spectator on the outside of myself, I saw my body lunge for her throat.

I was only ambiguously aware of the hands that forced me away from her just before my teeth snapped into her neck. I was drunk with the craving of going back in for the kill. The depraved predatory beast in me tried to reason with me that she was dying anyway. I endeavored to strangle the beast and rid myself of the obscene dialog he was shouting at me, but was foiled time and again.

"_She is dying anyway, you imbecile! It is better to put her out of her misery, fool! She is right there… use your strength to fight off these cowards and take her now! You know you want her… you need her… you need to finish your task… you are not done yet… she's going to die… don't let her suffer…"_

I was possessed by a foul demon that would not release me. I felt waves of calm crashing around me, but as each one hit, the beast obliterated it and continued his assault on my mind. I grappled with the hands that were denying me what I needed to no avail. I heard a voice scream, as though it were a century away, "Get him OUT of here!"

I was faintly aware that the hands that held me were pulling me away from the scent that kept the beast in his frenzy, but the scent and taste still lingered on my tongue. I could taste and smell it with every breath I took. I licked my lips and basked in the essence that I found there.

"_Fight them, Edward, kill them. They are keeping you from her and she needs you, Edward. You know that you need her blood. There is plenty more. She is miserable. She wants to die. She can feel the flames consuming her body and she doesn't want it. She wants you to finish her off, Edward. You don't have much time. If you don't do it now, you won't be able to. Run to her, Edward. Her blood is singing to you. Can't you hear it? Don't you want it? You have had every other part of her. It is time to stop this silly game. Go, go and finish the job you started so long ago, kill…her…"_

I struggled desperately to break free of the hands that were crushing me to the ground. My teeth were snapping at them as if they had a life of their own. I howled and screamed at them to let go of me. I let the monster tell them that Bella needed me. She was in pain and she needed me to come take the pain away.

I fought until my muscles burned with agony. I felt like I was being ripped apart, and the more pain I endured, the harder I struggled against them.

My first memory of reclaiming myself was when Carlisle's voice said, "It's working. She's going to make it."

I finally conquered the demon that raged inside me, and lay panting on the ground.

***************

**Jacob**

I struggled to stay calm when the bloodsucking-leech-that-stole-my-love-from-me started sucking the blood out of her neck. I grew angrier at every mouthful he took. He looked like he was in ecstasy, not as if he was sorry to be doing it.

The bloodsucker-with-all-the-scars kept trying to keep everybody calm with his 'gift.' I decided that his gift was wasted on me. The only thing keeping me calm was that I did not want to phase in here with Bella and risk hurting her more than she already was.

I watched as he sucked her life out of her. If she could get any paler, she did. She was pasty white as I had ever seen her and with each swallow he took, panic rose within me. I was sure he was killing her. I breathed a sigh of relief when he stopped and I could see that she was still alive. Her heart was still beating in her chest anyway, if you can use that for the definition of alive.

I stood up to go to her, but before I could take a step, the two brother-vampires had jumped over the bed and grabbed the leech who was snarling and growling with his teeth bared. He looked like more of an animal than a man.

The little pixie-bloodsucker-that-can-see-the-future started screaming at them to get him out of there. My hands flew to my ears because I thought my eardrums were going to rupture.

The brothers forced him outside with the mother-of-the-vampires and the sisters in hot pursuit. I looked over at Bella who was still alive, but not moving, and charged out the door after them.

I had to phase to keep up with them. They ran with him for about five miles before they wrestled him to the ground. I phased back and yanked my shorts on before I approached them. I could hear the ensuing struggle and was appalled when I stepped out from behind the trees and saw what was happening.

All five of them were struggling to hold him down on the ground. He was screaming at them, in a voice that I did not recognize, "Bella needs me!!! She is in pain!!! She WANTS me to make the burning stop!!! LET. GO. OF. ME. SHE NEEDS ME!!!!"

I heard myself screaming back at them, "Get him calmed down before the leech kills her!" and I continued screaming at them until the so-beautiful-it-was-painful-to-look-at-her vampire glared at me.

She growled, "Get _out_ of here, _mutt_. We can handle him. This will pass."

It didn't look to me like they were having much luck handling him so I wasn't going anywhere. If they couldn't keep him down, I was going to phase and kill him, simple as that. He was not going to live long enough to hurt Bella again. I could take care of her, vampire or not. I would gladly stay with her while she learned to control herself and then take her back home. I would just have to stay in my wolf form while she was wild.

I was plotting how I would convince Sam to let me bring her to La Push to live with me when the-doctor-bloodsucker appeared next to me. I was immediately angry that he left Bella alone. I turned to run into the woods and phase so I could get back to her when Carlisle spoke.

"It's working. She's going to make it."

He was gone in a flash, running back towards the house. I looked back at the six vampires on the ground and saw that the soon-to-be-dead-by-my-hands-bloodsucking-leech had finally stopped struggling and screaming.

I hesitated to see what was going to happen. He was panting on the ground, but none of them were giving him any leeway. They all held on to him just as tightly as they had before. I felt the wave of calm come over me again, and this time I felt better, but against my will. I slowly made my way back over to them to observe the aftermath of this spectacle.

"If you don't back the hell off, mongrel, I swear…" the beautiful one snarled at me.

I took a step backwards, but stayed. I was going to see this through. If he even looked sideways, I would be on him before they knew it. They might trust the bloodsucking-son-of-a-bitch, but I didn't trust him as far as human Bella could throw him.

His voice was shaking when he finally said, "Did I hurt her?"

The big-thinks-he-is-so-tough vampire said, "No, we stopped you, Eddie, but DAMN did you put up a fight," and erupted into laughter.

Everyone looked at the pixie-bloodsucker-that-can-see-the-future and she had her eyes closed. She looked like she was in some kind of trance. When she opened her eyes, she said, "It's okay now. It's all over. He's not going to hurt her."

They all released him at once and I took another step backwards so I would have plenty of room to phase if I needed to. I watched him cautiously while he laid there on the ground with his eyes closed.

He opened his eyes briefly and looked at me while he said, "It's over, Jacob. Go back to the house. I'll be there soon and I don't want you around when I see her. Get out of here, please." He closed his eyes again and all the other bloodsucking leeches glared at me.

I turned and disappeared into the trees before I yanked off my shorts and phased to get back to the house as quickly as possible. Just before I got there, I phased back and pulled my shorts back on.

I walked in quietly and stood looking at Bella. All of the tubes and machines were gone now except for one tube that was still dripping fluid into her arm. She was breathing erratically, but it didn't sound like the breath she had before they put her on the machine, this was a different kind of breathing. The doctor-father-vampire said, "She is doing fine, Jacob. She can hear you if you want to talk to her. I will leave you alone."

"Um, thank you, um, Carlisle."

I sat down on the edge of the bed and took Bella's hand. Her fever was gone. There were so many things I wanted to say to her, but I was having trouble getting them out. I started to cry and felt stupid. Werewolves are not supposed to cry.

The tears rolled down my face anyway and I decided not to fight them. I finally choked out, "I love you, Bella. I always have, and I always will. I know that you chose this, and in some way, you probably chose to get sick so he would have to do it. I want you to know that I am still your best friend and I always will be. I'm going away for a while, but when the time is right, I will see you again. Take care of yourself, Bella. If you ever should need me, call Billy. He will tell the pack so they can find me. Please remember me, Bella, please don't forget me. I love you with all my heart, Bella, goodbye, Bella, goodbye."

I stood up and gently kissed her forehead. I allowed myself one more long look at her before I turned and ran out the door yelling at anyone within earshot as I went, "Make sure he takes care of her or I will be back for vengeance!" I phased and left my shredded shorts behind. I was not going to need them for a while. As I disappeared into the woods, I howled louder than I ever had before. I knew, finally, that I could never win. Bella was not ever, and would not ever be mine. I didn't know, as I ran crashing through the trees, if I would ever see her again.

***************

**Edward**

"Did I hurt her?"

These were the first coherent words I could form in my mind. The beast was finally shackled and caged. I was aware that Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Esme were all holding me down. I was also aware of that _fucking dog_ staring at me.

Emmett, who often handles stress with jocularity, said, "No, we stopped you, Eddie, but DAMN did you put up a fight," and started laughing. I suppressed the urge to rip off his arms and beat him to death with them. I knew I needed to stay calm so they would let me go back to Bella.

I could hear the dog's heavy footsteps as he approached and Rosalie hissed, "If you don't back the _hell_ _off_, mongrel, I swear…"

His footsteps retreated, but only slightly. I wanted him gone. He was standing over me plotting to murder me and take Bella away with him in his mind and I was in no condition to listen to it. I laid there with my eyes closed and tried to ignore him, as well as ignore all the stress I could feel from the rest of my family, and let Jasper's waves of calm wash over me and relax me.

I saw Alice's vision of them letting go of me and me staying where I was. Then her vision changed to me going back to Bella and sitting with her. I heard her say, "It's okay now. It's all over. He's not going to hurt her," and then they all released me.

I didn't move. I just laid there trying to remember what happened. The whole episode was surreal, as if it had happened to someone else and I had watched. My relaxed mind was hearing everything around me. I listened to glimpses of the thoughts of my family. I settled my mind on Emmett's thoughts briefly, who seemed to be irritated that he had not been able to control me on his own. I tucked that away for future reference, and moved on to the dog whose thoughts were still murderous and vile. He also made no effort whatsoever to cover up his plan to remain a wolf until Bella controlled her thirst and then take her back to La Push and beg Sam to let her stay there with him. I could not listen to his banter for another second so I opened my eyes to glare at him, and in the calmest, most relaxed, and subtle voice I could muster, I said, "It's over, Jacob. Go back to the house. I'll be there soon and I don't want you around when I see her. Get out of here, please."

My families' thoughts echoed my words and I could see his face in each one of their minds when they glared at him. I heard him leave and wondered how he ever snuck up on anyone as loud and malodorous as he was.

After Jacob was gone, I finally sat up and looked around. "Where are we?"

Esme answered, "Your brothers ran quite a ways with you so they would have space in which to catch you before you could get back to the house, just in case you got loose."

I nodded and whispered, "Thank you all. I would have…"

Alice interrupted me, "We know, Edward. Don't punish yourself for it. You did perfectly. It would have been hard for any of us to stop the way you did and we all know that. If you are ready, let's get back to the house. Bella is going to need us all now, and Edward, she is going to be gorgeous."

I nodded my head again and stood. We all walked slowly together but picked up speed. No one spoke as we made our way back to Bella. I mused at the thoughts around me.

Alice was thinking about all the clothes that she was going to buy for Bella to show off her new perfect body. Esme was thinking about how complete her family felt. Rosalie was pissed off because she broke the heel on her new six-hundred-dollar shoes chasing me. Jasper was thinking about how to keep Bella's pain from overwhelming him while he tried to keep her calm over the next days, and Emmett was still brooding about having to have assistance to control me. I smirked and winked at him.

"Wanna race?"

Before he could answer, I was gone. As I streaked across the field, I caught Jacob's form running out of the house screaming, "Make sure he takes care of her or I will be back for vengeance!" He phased and started howling like a banshee as he blundered through the woods.

_Good riddance, and thanks for the drama. We certainly haven't had enough of that already today._

I burst into the house and went immediately to Bella's side. I was relieved to see that all the tubes and machines were gone. Bella only had an IV remaining.

Carlisle didn't speak aloud, but his mind spoke to me. _"Doing better now?"_

I nodded.

"_She is doing wonderfully. She looks like she is sleeping. I haven't seen her show any outward signs of pain. Maybe all the medication is helping."_

"We'll know when Jasper gets here."

Carlisle nodded and left me alone with her. I took her hand and stroked it. The fever was gone and I knew that the venom had cured the flu that had been brutally killing her. Her breathing was slow and even and her heart rate had slowed to a normal pace.

"Bella, angel, if you can hear me, it's me, Edward. I just want you to know how much I love you. If you are feeling pain, please try to let us know and we will do whatever we can for you. I will be here with you until this is over. I won't leave your side again, I promise. You look beautiful, Bella. I can't wait to see you on the other side."

She didn't move or even change her breathing. Her heart rate, however, accelerated ever so slightly. I was relieved, because I was sure this meant she heard me. I crawled up on the bed and laid down next to her, pulling her close to me. Her heart rate accelerated again and I hoped this was a good sign.

When the rest of the family came back inside, Jasper was looking grave. I released my panic and he came to the side of the bed immediately. I felt calm and well-being wash over me and I looked hopefully at him. I heard his mind tell me, _"She is in pain, Edward. She feels the burning, but she is calm. I can feel the pain coming from her, but it is mixed with feelings of peace. It is kind of confusing."_

I turned to Alice and instructed her to get the CD of Bella's Lullaby and put it on the stereo. I got behind her on the bed, and leaned her body against mine with her head on my shoulder and my legs wrapped carefully around her. I held her as close as I possibly could in my arms, humming along with the CD. I glanced over at Jasper who nodded. _"She likes that. Keep doing it."_

Jasper and I stayed with Bella while the rest of the family busied themselves getting the rest of the house put together. Minutes slowly ticked away, each one feeling like hours to me. I had never wanted time to pass as quickly as I wanted it to now. Jasper continued to send euphoric feelings over us when he sensed that the pain was getting to be too much for Bella.

I was incredibly surprised at how still she was. I wondered what kind of battle she was having within her mind. I was relieved, for now, that I could not read it. Hearing her thoughts right now would have tortured me beyond my capacity to survive. I knew the pain she felt. I knew the burning that was consuming every cell of her being.

Alice glided in and out of the room occasionally to check on our progress. Every time she came in, she took Bella's hand and told her how beautiful and graceful she was going to be. Each time she did this, Bella's heart rate sped slightly and this encouraged me further that she was coherent in there somewhere.

As the minutes finally passed into hours, morning broke and the sun briefly streamed into the windows that lined the back of the house before it was obliterated by clouds.

Bella stirred slightly and I adjusted her position the tiniest bit. I glanced at Jasper who had just sent a gigantic surge of tranquility over us. His face was contorted with concentration. I started to panic, and then Bella started to scream.

Jasper continued trying to give her swells of serenity, but it didn't seem to be working. The entire family rushed into the room.

Alice took one of Bella's hands in hers and started speaking to her in a soothing tone. "It's okay, Bella. We are all here with you and we love you. This will pass and you will be just fine. We love you so much, Bella. I'm sorry for the pain, but we will help you through it."

I continued to hum her lullaby in her ear as she started to thrash around. I tried to contain her, so that she would not hurt herself, but realized that I was going to have to release her before I hurt her trying to hold her still. I put her gently on the bed and sat by her head, stroking her hair and humming.

Rosalie took her other hand and tried to sooth her as well. "You will be all right, Bella. All of us are right here with you."

Carlisle increased the amount of morphine dripping into her vein. He didn't speak aloud but told me with his thoughts, _"As you probably remember, Edward, this could last through to the end. I'm not sure the morphine is helping her. When the time comes closer, you need to start talking to her about what to expect when she awakens." _I nodded my head just enough so that he would know that I heard him and he went to stand next to Emmett.

Esme gently rubbed Bella's legs and hummed her lullaby along with me. She was hurting inside from seeing Bella in such pain. I found myself in awe of the love that my mother had for each of us, including Bella. If the capacity to love so unconditionally were a gift for a vampire, it was certainly Esme's gift. She had more love in her than anyone else I had ever known, save for Bella.

Emmett stood in the corner of the room and looked bewildered. He didn't understand exactly what was happening because he had never seen anyone transformed before. He had been the last of Carlisle's 'children.' His mind was creating images from when he was transformed, and he was reliving it in Bella's screams. Carlisle put his arm around Emmett as his big shoulders started heaving with sobs. "Isn't there anything else we can do for her? She is, she… I'm sorry, Edward, I can't bear it…" Emmett turned and ran out of the room and exited the back door of the house. His mind was full of anguish and apology for leaving but he couldn't handle Bella screaming. I felt blessed that each member of my family had so much love in their stone cold hearts for Bella, and for me. Especially right now.

Bella's screams were not words at first, but it wrenched my heart out of my chest when they transformed into words and she screamed, "Edward, please, please, Edward, make it stop, Edward, please, please, it burns, it burns, I can't…I can't, kill me, Edward, Carlisle, somebody, please help me, please…"

Jasper jumped up and ran out of the house. His mind was full of sorrow at his inability to help. _"I will be back soon, Edward. I apologize. It is just becoming too much for me to handle. It doesn't seem to be helping her very much right now, and I have to clear her pain from my mind so that I can continue. I'm sorry…"_

Her thrashing slowed, so I pulled her up and cradled her against me. I kissed her forehead and whispered, "Shhh, angel, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, love. It will be over soon, sweetheart. I love you, Bella, I love you."

Alice, Rosalie, and Esme sat on the bed with us while Bella continued to scream and sob for what seemed like days. Carlisle sat at the foot of the bed in a chair with his head in his hands. All I could hear from him was, _"I'm so sorry, Edward. I'm trying. It just isn't enough. I'm so sorry."_

We were only about twelve hours into the approximately seventy-two hours it was going to take for Bella's transformation at this point, and I wondered if I would be able to take it. I emboldened myself and decided that if Bella had to endure it, I would have to endure it by her side. I didn't have the option to leave, I had to see her through this.

***************

**Bella**

When I gained awareness, the burning that was racing through my veins like wildfire confused me. My mind was fuzzy. I felt dizzy-drunk while I tried to pinpoint exactly what was happening. I tried to force myself to open my eyes or move, but couldn't. I didn't even seem to be breathing by myself.

As I lay there struggling against the haze that was clouding my mind, I felt the burn that was winding its way up my limbs crash into my neck and then my head and chest exploded with pain.

I was paralyzed and couldn't make a sound. I fought desperately with my mind to make my body do something, but it wouldn't. I couldn't even open my eyes to see what was happening. I thought I could hear voices speaking, but I was unable to put the words into something that was meaningful. Just as I thought I might be gaining some sense of myself back, I was plunged back into darkness.

When I regained any semblance of consciousness again, the first thought I had was the burning that was consuming my entire body. I fought to clear the cobwebs from my mind so I could make sense of what was happening. I felt as though every cell of my body was on fire. Slowly, it dawned on me that I must be dead and in hell. That was the only explanation for the burning.

I laid there trying to remember what had happened and how I had died. I tried to go back over the last things I remembered. I knew that I had been at home with Edward; we returned from the honeymoon early. I tried to think about that and focus on the events that happened. It was hard to concentrate past the burning pain that seemed to lick at my body from every direction.

The more I fought to remember, the harder it was to drown out the flames that were roaring at me. I slowly tried to pick apart the pieces. I had been sick. Yes, I was sick, and Carlisle was trying to find out what was wrong with me. I had a fever and Edward made me go to bed. I remembered going to sleep with Edward there and then, oxygen? I thought that Carlisle had put oxygen on me, and put a needle in my arm. Bits and pieces flashed back at me through the unendurable pain. I remembered not being able to breathe. People were talking in hushed voices around me, and I couldn't breathe. And Jacob, Jacob had been there. I remembered hearing his voice. I couldn't make out the words that anyone was saying, just the voices, some of which I could not recognize. I remembered that my breathing had gotten worse and that was when everything faded to black again. I remembered nothing more until I had awakened earlier with the burning.

I struggled to accept that I was dead and burning in hell. Why else would I be burning like this? Surely…

My thoughts came to an abrupt halt. Suddenly my mind cleared and I was able to think again. The burning did not get any better, in fact, it got worse, but I was thinking more clearly than ever before. I wasn't dead, Edward had changed me. I was becoming a vampire. That's what the burning was.

I was relieved, and frightened. I was relieved that I was not going to spend all eternity burning like this, but I was frightened at what had made Edward do this so suddenly. Had I been that sick? Did I get out of bed in my delirium and fall out of Edward's bedroom window?

I was confused but decided that if Edward had decided to change me, he had not done it without reason. My ears began to sharpen and I became aware that I could hear my lullaby. It sounded like Edward was humming in my ear. Was he holding me? I couldn't feel anything but the burning.

The pain in my body became unbearable again and I struggled to remain calm. I was afraid that I was going mad because of the pain. I tried to imagine Paris to keep my mind some place sane, but the pain was excruciating. It seemed the burning raced from cell to cell making me aware of every single one of them. Occasionally, it relented enough for me to think clearly again, but then it would start burning out of control like a forest fire consuming me.

I was sure I had been burning for days. I struggled to remember anything from my human life to concentrate on but couldn't. My mind was slowly slipping away from me and I was being consumed by the fire. Every single cell in my brain suddenly exploded in pain and I heard myself scream. The voice that was screaming was mine anyway, but I couldn't tell if I was actually screaming or not.

My mind finally broke. I couldn't do it anymore. I pleaded with Edward to kill me. I didn't know whether I was actually making any sound because all I could hear was the flames roaring past my ears with each blood cell that flowed through my arteries and veins. I hoped against hope that the sounds I could hear myself making were only in my head. What kind of misery would Edward be in if he could actually hear me right now? I tried to stop myself from screaming but my mind would not think rationally.

I tried to remember how long I had been like this but had no sense of time. The only things that I had any sense of at all were the pain, the burning, and the screaming.

***************

**Edward**

Ten hours, forty-two minutes, and eleven seconds later, Bella stopped screaming. She grew very quiet and still. I didn't know if she had stopped screaming of her own volition, or if her voice had just given up on her. I looked around at everyone, pleading with them to tell me what was going on, though I knew that not one of them knew.

I looked down at my pocket watch again. Almost twenty-three hours had passed since I started Bella's transformation. Time was clicking by so imperceptibly that I imagined that time had stopped.

Esme put her hand on me and said, "Edward, there is no shame in leaving for a little while. The rest of us will stay here with her. Go take a quick run in the woods and clear your mind. She still has a long ways to go."

I shook my head and said, "No. I am not leaving her again. She is my responsibility and I _promised_ her that I would see her through this." I looked around at everyone else and said, "And you can all just put that thought out of your minds because you _can not_ make me go!" I was angry that all of them thought that I was so weak that I could not bear this, but Bella was strong enough to do it on her own, at least without me. I would not allow that. The short time I had been away from her had already been too long as far as I was concerned and I wasn't going anywhere.

I picked Bella back up and cradled her in my arms again. I stroked her hair and stared down at her. I had never felt so helpless in all my years. I felt more grief and shame than I had when I left Bella in the forest. She was suffering again, because of me. If I could have done it for her, I would gladly have taken her place. I wished for Jasper's ability so that I could feel her pain along with her.

Alice was the only one who seemed remotely happy. She just kept telling me how beautiful and wonderful Bella was going to be. After about the thousandth time of her telling me this, I snarled at her, "Yes, Alice, so you said. It's not helping me right now. Please _drop_ it."

I immediately felt badly for snapping at Alice like that. It didn't seem to bother her though. She just smiled and flitted into the other room. I reminded myself to apologize to her later and then heard her voice from another part of the house say, "Apology accepted, Edward."

I was content that she knew that I did not mean it so I went back to concentrating on Bella. Jasper was back and trying to keep calm flowing from him. I was more grateful to him than he could ever know for helping me with Bella. I knew he was frustrated during the time that Bella was screaming and thrashing that he could not calm her, but we seemed to be at a new stage now and he sensed that she was slightly calmer.

I was just glad she had stopped screaming and begging me to kill her. I vowed never to tell her about her transformation. I did not want her to feel guilty for putting me through this. I should have known what to expect as I had seen it before with Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett. Each one of us had gone through exactly the same thing during our transformations. I knew that this was no different, but to me it was. This was My Bella, fragile, vulnerable, defenseless, sensitive, susceptible Bella. I was supposed to protect her from things that would cause her such pain. She had begged me to save her by killing her. There was a fleeting moment when I had thought maybe that was what I should do, but knew I couldn't bear it and pushed the thought away immediately.

Emmett had returned and was a refreshing pillar of strength and support for me. He was uncharacteristically quiet, but his thoughts were so supportive and kind that I felt very close to him. During the time that Bella had been screaming, he had told me in his mind, _"Edward, man, you are the strongest person I know. I could never have done this with Rosalie if I were in your shoes. I would have had to leave. I could never have taken this."_

Carlisle had sadly discontinued the morphine he was giving her when Jasper told him it wasn't helping anyway. He felt as though he had failed me and I had to do some real convincing to make sure he understood that I did not blame him. "Carlisle, this is not your fault. We knew that it might not work. I don't blame you at all. Maybe… maybe it won't take as long." Carlisle and I both knew that it was a long shot that Bella would not have to endure three days of this torture, but we both held onto the hope that our efforts would not be completely useless.

I sat there cradling Bella in my arms, and slowly felt the changes taking place in her body. I noted that her heart was beating very hard and very fast. Her breathing was getting more erratic with every passing minute. She sighed, shifted, and moaned occasionally, but there was no more screaming. I could feel the changes in her skin temperature taking place.

After five hours of blessed silence, Bella began crying and pleading with me again. She sobbed uncontrollably and flailed her arms around, pulling at her hair and her skin. Her eyes were open, but she did not look like she was actually seeing anything.

"Please, please, please, make it stop. I can't do it… I can't do… anymore… It hurts… Oh God, it hurts…"

"No, Bella, love, don't pull at your hair, love. I love you so much, my angel. Please don't cry, please."

"Edward? I can't see… please… Edward… Can't you make it stop? I can't… Kill me…please… will it stop if you kill me? I'm not… I'm not going to make it… I can't bear any more…"

With every word she spoke, it twisted a knife in my chest. I could not bear to see her like this, and I could not leave.

Jasper was exhausted, but continued to try to calm her. He sat next to me and held her hand, hoping that if he touched her, it would help.

Emmett continued his vigil, sending me thoughts of encouragement. _"Hang in there, man. I know how hard this has to be for you. You know she won't remember very much of this. Don't sit there feeling guilty, Edward, it was what she wanted. Keep that with you, she wants this, and you won't have to be so careful with her anymore."_

Bella continued to cry and plead with me for hours. I kept looking at my pocket watch, hoping that time would somehow hasten by, but each second ticked away so slowly that I finally stopped looking. I decided that losing all sense of time would be much better than knowing how long I listened to Bella's suffering.

I finally decided that rather than try to answer her pleas, I should do as Carlisle asked me and start talking to her about waking up. I did not know where to start, but decided to be encouraging. That would be my best course of action.

"Bella, I want to tell you about when you wake up. I don't want you to be frightened when you awaken. I am going to be right here with you, and so will everyone else."

"You have to try to hold on to your memories right now, Bella. If you can find a safe place in your mind that you can go, go there, and latch on to all the memories you can. I want you to remember who you are, and who I am when you wake up, love. I will be here to help you."

"You will notice many changes. You will be able to hear so much more, and your sight is going to be different. Don't be alarmed at all the detail you seem to see and hear. You will get used to it, and be able to use it to your advantage. The world is going to look so much different to you, love."

"You must remember that when you awaken, you are going to be very strong. Don't underestimate your strength when you wake up, Bella. Every movement you make should be one thousand times gentler than you think it needs to be. You will crush the entire house if you wake up wild, love. Try to remember these things I am telling you and remain as calm as you can when you awaken."

Carlisle nodded in encouragement as I told Bella the same things time and again, hoping that somewhere inside her mind, she would hear me and remember what I was telling her.

The hours slipped by, and sometime on the third day, Bella finally began to truly relax. I did not look at my watch, but Carlisle was keeping track anyway. "It's getting close, Edward. Look how different she looks, and how much more relaxed she is." I nodded.

Jasper agreed with us. "Yes, it is getting close. The pain seems to be ebbing away from her. She can still feel it, but it is much less now. The onslaught I was getting before has abated."

I grimaced at his comment. Jasper had been careful to block my mind-reading throughout the ordeal. He could not ever imagine how grateful I was to him for that. I made a mental note to get everyone a nice gift as soon as this was all over.

I softly called, "It's almost time, Alice."

Alice glided in with a basin full of water in one hand, and clothing in the other. Rosalie and Esme were right behind her. I carefully laid Bella down to let them clean her up and change her before her awakening. Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett silently stepped out of the room, but I remained to watch. I did not want to miss her very last human moment.

Alice and Esme bathed her while Rosalie washed and dried her hair. They worked quickly, transforming her from a girl who looked very sick to the most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes on. Alice had chosen a very beautiful, but conservative, blue dress for her that suited her very well. It stood out against her pale skin and made her look lovely. She had put matching blue ballerina slippers on her feet.

As they completed their task, they each hugged me before they left. I quietly thanked them each. Alice was the last to leave. She grabbed both of my hands after she hugged me and squeezed them. "It won't be too much longer, Edward. We will all be right outside the door." I watched her retreat before I nervously sat back down next to Bella to wait for her transformation to be complete. It was the moment of truth for me, when I would find out whether I had lost her forever, or she would still be mine for eternity. I counted the seconds until I would be reunited with her.

**_End Note: Well? I'm waiting to hear from each of you! Edward knows I am nervous, so he has suspended his massages until after the reviews start coming in so he can hold me and comfort me in my time of need. Isn't he sweet? He says if the reviews are good, he will massage everybody! _**

**_Thanks Lil...I love you. Hard & Repeatedly._**


	17. Chapter 17 Awakening

**_A/N The response to the Transformation chapter was overwhelming. Thank you all so much. Now, may I introduce Vamp Bella... Lemons afoot..._**

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything Twilight, not even the characters, whom I love dearly anyway. Well, except maybe Edward who I refuse to give back to Stephenie... ever.

**Bella**

I don't know when the screaming in my head finally stopped. I drifted in and out of consciousness for some unknown amount of time. After what seemed like eternity, my mind sharpened and began giving me the clearest thoughts I ever had. I had visions. They were wonderful visions of my wedding, my childhood, my family, and Edward. _Edward._

I knew he was with me. I could sense him nearby. I could hear his magical voice as he talked to me, telling me how sorry he was and how much he loved me. I wanted to answer him, but I was afraid that if I opened my mouth to speak, I would start screaming with the pain.

I was finally able to start overcoming the burning and think around it. My mind seemed to be an endless chasm where I could put different things and leave them there. That is what I did with the burning and pain; I took them to a corner of my mind and deposited them there. I knew they were there, but I was able to leave them in that spot and explore the other areas of my mind.

As I let my visions overtake the rest of my mind, I was aware that my hearing was becoming more acute. I could hear every sound in the house, every breath, every whisper, every footstep. I heard Alice tell Edward it wouldn't be long. I was curious if she was referring to me.

Suddenly, I was aware of my heart. It was beating funny. I felt the burn settling there. It seemed to have migrated away from my legs, arms, and head. The only place left burning was my heart. I listened to it as it slowed, and then there was one last beat, and it stopped. I panicked momentarily when my heart stopped. My mind was clear, yet hazy. I wasn't sure what was happening, but I knew. I realized that I wasn't breathing. It was an unsettling sensation so I experimentally inhaled. It felt normal so I exhaled. When I inhaled again, I could smell so many things all mixed together that it was confusing. There was one scent that stood out from all the others. It was Edward. His scent was stronger than I had ever smelled, but I knew it was him. I had never actually been able to pick out exactly what Edward smelled like, but now I could. He smelled like honey, cinnamon, cloves, and sunshine. Yummy.

After my heart stopped, the burn in my body ebbed away quickly. There was nothing left but a euphoric feeling of strength within me. I had no pain anywhere in my body. I felt better than I had ever felt in my life.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. I stared at the ceiling. I could see every minute detail of the wood that it was made of. Edward appeared in my peripheral vision.

"Bella?"

I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed in one smooth movement. I looked around me. "Where am I?"

My voice was foreign to me. I looked down at myself to see if I was real or if I really had died. My skin was paler than usual, but I seemed to be all in one piece. My fingernails were painted a lovely iridescent pink. They were longer than they normally were, but still short enough to be practical. I was wearing a blue satin dress. I had blue ballerina slippers on my feet.

"We are in Alaska. Bella, look at me please?"

I met Edward's gaze. When I saw him, I decided that I was definitely dead. That couldn't be Edward standing there, because the being standing before me looked like Edward, only much more beautiful. Edward had been dazzling before, but I was in complete awe of his beauty now. I decided he had to be an angel. His eyes were dark, but still gleamed. His hair caught the light and it was as though moonbeams were coming off it.

"I'm dead?"

Edward chuckled at me. _Typical._

"No, love. You are not dead. You have just been reborn."

I thought this through quickly. _How could Edward look so much different to me now? Alice had said that I would be beautiful. I remembered hearing that. I hoped that I would be almost as beautiful as Edward is, but now look at him. He is exponentially more handsome and beautiful than I remember him. He's lying to me. I must be dead. _

I stood up with ease and took a step towards him. I reached up to his face and put my hand on his cheek. It was warm. _That sews it up for me. I'm dead. _

Edward reached up and placed his hand over mine. It was warm too. I looked at him lovingly. I wished that he were real. I hoped that this was heaven. Eternity seemed like a long time without Edward in it.

I felt a sadness that was so deep that I felt it would overwhelm me. _Why did I have to die? Edward is probably just a figment of my imagination. I'm hallucinating, that's what it is. _

I looked at Edward longingly, waiting for my beautiful hallucination to disappear. Rather than disappearing, the hallucination that was Edward, wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. He murmured, "Please don't be sad, Bella. I thought this was what you wanted. You were going to die, and I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't…live without you."

I looked up into his eyes and there was so much pain there. More than I had ever seen. When I did, he leaned in and crushed his lips against mine. I was startled at how warm and soft they were. They molded against mine perfectly, and mine against his. While he was kissing me, passion flashed through my body. It was more intense than I had ever felt. I threw my arms around him and kissed him harder. When I felt his lips part, I parted mine and our tongues immediately intertwined. He was without fear and without reserve. He didn't touch me and kiss me as though I was breakable now. _Ohhhh. I'm not dead. I'm changed. Edward changed me! I remember now! Holy crow! _

When I pulled my legs up and wrapped them around his waist, I noticed that it took no effort at all to do so. He was holding me so tightly that for a moment I thought he would crush me, but I realized that he couldn't. I was more…durable.

I let my fingers intertwine in his hair and threw my head back. He kissed my neck and shoulders. He nipped me gently with his teeth and sucked on my skin. It felt so…damn…good.

I was faintly aware of an ache that was starting to appear in the back of my throat, but right now, I was busy. That would have to wait. I heard a door open somewhere and the distinct footsteps of six different people walking out of it. _The family just left._

Edward carried me out of the room and into a large living room with a giant stone fireplace. I didn't close my eyes when I kissed him. I watched everything go by, while at the same time watching Edward. He carried me into another room and there was a _huge _bed in there. It was a solid oak four-poster bed, bigger than any I had ever seen.

Edward placed me on my feet on the floor. His lips crashed into mine with a fervor and passion that completely disarmed me. I smoldered with desire for him. I knew that I had to have him, and I had to have him immediately. I also knew that it had to be on my terms, because I was feeling incredibly powerful, almost angry, but not quite. Mostly, I felt a passion spreading through me that was so amazing, I did not want to waste it for a second.

I grabbed Edward and threw him onto the bed. His body bounced in the air from hitting the bedsprings with such force. He grinned at me, but I was not smiling. His face immediately took on a new expression. He looked a little scared. I was too focused to be concerned. I shredded his pants and boxers with a flick of my wrist, reveling in the power, and jumped, landing on his thighs. He gasped in shock. His erection was beautiful, so much more beautiful than I remembered. It was standing there at attention, all for me. I grasped it and squeezed. Hard. I felt it give under my fingers; soft, silky, and warm. Edward moaned. I pumped it a few times, watching it change color from the pressure, and released it. I ripped off my dress and tossed the pieces aside. I stared into his eyes as I leaned forward and mounted him quickly. I thrust onto him as hard as I could and heard the wood bed-frame crack. I didn't care. I captured his hands in mine and pinned them above his head against the bed, grinding mercilessly against him.

His member felt warm and pulsed against my walls as I ground into him. It was so different from the cold, granite feel of him inside me before I was changed. I could feel my juices running out and coating him as I slammed my hips into his over and over again. Edward groaned from the intensity of it, his eyes squeezed shut and the muscles on his neck were protruding from the strain. When I felt the coil begin to tighten in my stomach, I pounded even harder, arching my back so he hit my g-spot as the bed crashed to the floor. I kept Edward's arms pinned and moaned loudly as the coil tightened even more. Edward was thrusting against me, matching my frenzied pace. I lifted my hips and slammed into him hard as I screamed, "Oh fuck! Amazing… God… Edward… " I was slightly stunned at what had come out of my mouth, but didn't have time to think about being a lady because the orgasm was more intense than anything I had ever felt. Electricity flowed through my body and my feet dug into the mattress, tearing the sheets. I continued thrusting, reveling in the feeling of my muscles clamping around Edward's thick shaft. The power that I felt was earth shattering and I stared into Edward's eyes, who was looking up at me with his face contorted in concentration.

"Say my name, Edward. Scream it. Come now, and scream my name," I ordered.

A millisecond later, he thrust his hips forward hard enough to cause me to almost lose my balance and he screamed, "Bellaaaaaa!"

I clamped onto him tightly as he released inside me and I felt warm liquid spill into my center and fill me with its essence. My face was inches from his and I was concentrating on watching him when I could swear that I actually felt his orgasm in my mind and heard him screaming, "Oh God, oh God, Bella, bloody hell, this is better than I ever imagined…" I looked at him strangely because his lips were not moving. I shook my head and thought I must not be fully aware yet.

When we had both floated down from our orgasms, Edward surprised me by wrenching his arms out from under my grasp, clutching onto me, and flipping me over landing fully on top of me. He let his full weight lie on me, but he wasn't heavy. I was ecstatic. We fit together as though we were made to be this way.

Edward stared into my eyes and stroked my cheek for a long time before either of us spoke. As we looked at each other, I began to giggle, and then Edward chuckled. Soon we were both laughing uproariously. Edward leaned in to kiss me then said, "I guess you remember me."

I giggled and said, "What makes you think I wouldn't have?"

"It happens sometimes. I am so happy that it didn't happen to you though, love. You seem to be fine, other than a little more, erm, aggressive than you were before," and he chuckled again.

"You were with me all the time, Edward. Of course I remember you."

Edward smiled down at me silently for a moment. Finally, he said, "Are you thirsty, love? We should hunt soon. I don't want you to be deluged with thirst."

I searched my body for a feeling of thirst. The only thing I felt was a burn in the back of my throat. It wasn't overly painful, but it was somewhat uncomfortable.

"Is that what the burning in my throat is?"

Edward chuckled and said, "Yes, love. That's what it is. It must not be very bad yet, or you wouldn't still be here."

He withdrew from me and stood up, taking my hand. I stood quickly and looked around. "Whose room did we just defile and whose bed did we destroy?"

"Ours."

I smiled. It was a beautiful room. There were many beautiful windows that were all, thankfully, covered by drapes right now. There was a smaller version of the stone fireplace from the living room in here. I saw that there was a bathroom, and was shocked by the gigantic closet, already full of clothes, that was there. I walked into the closet and glanced around. I called out to Edward, "Are you sure this is not Alice's room?"

"No, love. This is our room. Alice just took the liberty of stocking your closet for you." He walked to the door and leaned against the jam with his arms crossed. He was already dressed in jeans and a polo. "What do you want to wear, love? I'll help you find it."

"Jeans, I think."

Edward chuckled and said, "I think not."

He went to the dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts and a tank top. I raised an eyebrow at him and he said, "Put them on, love. And be careful you don't rip them to shreds getting them on. Remember, you are very strong now. You will have to learn how to handle human things so that you don't destroy them. Do you want me to help you?"

I shook my head and carefully slipped the shorts on over the lace panties I pulled out of the drawer. I found a bra to replace the one I had shredded earlier, and pulled on the tank top. I managed to do it all without tearing anything and was proud of myself. I looked down at my feet and the ballet shoes were still there. I giggled and said, "Would you look at that? You didn't even get me out of my shoes!" I kicked them off and quickly slipped on a pair of sneakers I found nearby.

Edward laughed, swept me into his arms, and kissed me. He put me firmly on the floor, took my hand, and said, "Let's go, love. The family is waiting for us. You need to learn to hunt."

As we walked through the house towards the front door, Edward said, casually, "Have you noticed any other changes, love?"

I giggled. "I can see and hear everything."

He nodded and stopped in the front entry where there was a wall with mirrors from the ceiling to the floor. I looked into the mirror and was startled at the beautiful woman standing next to Edward. I looked around the room and no one else was there. I looked back to the mirror and looked more closely at her. Slowly, I realized it was me. I pointed at the mirror and gasped, "That's me?"

Edward nodded and smiled. "Yes, love. That's you. You are stunningly beautiful."

I looked at him and back at the reflection of myself in the mirror. I touched my hair and the reflection in the mirror touched her hair. I could see myself in her if I looked closely. I had the same features, my hair was the same color but it was…iridescent. My skin was pale, but had color. I was simply amazed. I had no words. I took Edward's hand and squeezed it. I looked into his face and whispered, "I'm almost as beautiful as you."

Edward laughed. He squeezed my hand as well and said, "Oh, no, love. You are a thousand times more beautiful than me." He kissed my cheek and led me out the door.

As we walked towards the woods that surrounded the house, I turned to Edward and said, "Thank you for giving me this gift, Edward. I love you."

He looked at me strangely and said, "What gift?"

"Eternity, with you."

He knitted his brow and said, "I hope you still think it is a gift one hundred years from now, Bella."

I kissed him and took his face in my hands. "I will always think of it as a gift. I know how hard it must have been for you, and you will have to tell me about it sometime, but right now, I think I need to hunt. My throat really burns. Bad."

Edward chuckled again and hugged me. We headed on towards the woods. I marveled that it must be cold outside, but I wasn't cold anymore. I felt warm, though I was standing outside in Alaska in shorts and a tank top. As we walked, I smelled a mixture of scents that was vaguely familiar. I heard them moving before I saw them all step out from the trees to greet us.

Alice ran to me and picked me up to swing me around. She giggled and hugged me, squealing. "See? I told you she would be strikingly beautiful, Edward. How do you feel, Bella? Are you thirsty?"

I nodded and said, "I feel wonderful and yes, I am thirsty. I'm very ready to learn to hunt."

Alice giggled.

They all surrounded me and admired me. I felt embarrassed and though I knew I should have blushed, I did not feel the heat in my cheeks. I glanced over at Edward who nodded and said, "Yes, love, I will miss that."

It occurred to me to ask something else, so instead of speaking, I asked him with my mind. _"Can you read my mind now, Edward?"_

He just stood there watching his family fuss over me, so I guessed that the answer was no. I was ever so slightly disappointed, but didn't say anything. It made me wonder what was wrong with me. I found that I felt saddened that Edward still could not read my mind and I wondered what was wrong with me. Apparently there was still something wrong with my brain. As much as the rest of the family complained about never having any privacy from Edward, I would not have minded, I didn't think. I thought back to our tryst earlier and wondered if I had been hallucinating that I was in his mind.

Emmett was the last one to saunter out of the woods and stroll over to us. He winked at Edward and said, "Tiger. I told you." Edward glared at him and I looked from one to the other, slowly gaining understanding. Emmett looked at me and said, "Little sister, you turned out quite nice, and loud too, and come to think of it, you are pretty demanding as well. I would really like to…" I didn't let him finish. Alice burst into uncontrollable laughter in the second before I put my foot right in the middle of his gut as hard as I could, sending him sailing about seventy-five feet into the woods where he crashed into the top of a tree and broke it.

"Shit, Bella!" he yelled just before he hit the ground with a loud thud. Birds were screeching in every direction.

"You deserved that, Emmett, and more!" I shouted, laughing.

Rosalie was having a fit of hysterics and high-fived me before she went over to Emmett and started chastising him for his mouth. I felt smug about having bested him so quickly. Everyone else was laughing and Edward hugged me and swung me around before setting me down and saying, "Shall we get on with it now?"

I nodded in agreement. There were many smells bombarding my senses and some of them seemed to be making the burn in my throat become more than I could ever ignore.

Everyone decided that we should all start together in the event that we came across any humans in the area. They all seemed concerned about what might happen if I encountered a human. I shrugged my shoulders and went along with whatever they decided. I was just happy that everyone was together. We all trekked into the woods and Edward looked at me and winked. I looked at him slyly and he said, "You want to race, love?"

I glanced at him, said, "Okay…," and started running as fast as I could. It was amazing how quickly I was moving. I didn't even have to worry about running into trees because I seemed to instinctually move out of the way as they got close to me. Everything was a blur as it passed by me.

I could hear Edward hot on my heels and then he said, "Bella! Stop for a minute, please!"

I stopped on a dime and turned around to look at him. I crossed my arms, tapped my foot, and pretended to look at a watch on my wrist. He caught me a half-second later and tackled me. We went rolling down the side of a hill, both struggling for dominance and laughing. When I finally bested him, I stood over him with my foot on his chest and yelled, "Do you yield?"

He was laughing so hard that he gasped, "Yes, your highness, I yield." I put my hand out to help him up and he sprung to his feet without taking it. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett caught up to us a moment later, all of them laughing. Emmett seemed to be particularly amused and gave me a high five.

"I guess it's okay if you kick my ass, as long as you kick his miserable ass too!"

I smelled something on the air, could taste it actually. I stopped and inhaled deeply. The burn in my throat increased dramatically. Everyone grew very quiet. I looked at Edward and he said, "Good job, love. That is moose that you smell. Would you like to try it?"

I nodded. The burn in my throat was reminiscent of the burn that had consumed my entire body just hours before now. I would do anything to get rid of it.

Edward took my hand and said, "Come on then, love." He stood still for a moment then said, "Can you tell where they are?"

I inhaled deeply in every direction. Finally, I set on one and pointed. Edward nodded and smiled. He whispered, "Follow me."

He ran for a ways in the direction I had pointed, and I followed. The rest of the family went a different direction so it was only Edward and me. When he slowed, I did as well. The smell was stronger now. My throat was burning more viciously now, and I felt instinct rising.

I crouched down and crept towards the trees in front of me, and then I saw them. There were three of them. They were rather large. I wasn't afraid of their size though. I felt the instinct in me tell me that they would be no trouble.

Edward was whispering to me, giving me instructions on how to approach them. He said they were fast, but not nearly as fast as us. He asked if I wanted to watch him first and I shook my head. He grinned. After we had our plan of attack, we circled around to stay upwind of them while they grazed. Once we were in position, Edward whispered, "Now!"

We ran out of the trees and before the moose even knew we were there, Edward had one down. He watched me briefly as I attacked one and broke its neck just like Edward had done with his. The other moose ran, trumpeting, into the woods. I looked at Edward to see what he was doing, but he was already drinking.

I looked at the moose again, and had no trouble finding what I was looking for in his neck. I could smell the blood, but it didn't smell bad to me. I had a vague memory sweep through my mind of the smell of human blood, and wrinkled my nose. I grabbed the moose and savagely bit into its neck and began draining it. The burn in my throat was raging now and every drink I took of the blood quenched it only slightly. When I could get no more, I stopped and stood up.

I turned to look at Edward and he chuckled at me. He, of course, looked as pristine as he had when he left the house. He had not a hair out of place. His clothes were just as clean as when he put them on. There was no fur or blood on his face. He looked just as beautiful as always.

I was affronted and said, "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, love. You will learn."

I looked down at myself and I was a mess. There was fur and blood on the front of my shirt and my knees were muddy. I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth came away with blood smeared on it. I hung my head and stood there. I decided that I was not as graceful as Alice had promised I would be and that it would be best to accept it now because eternity was a long time.

Edward walked over to me casually and took my blood stained hand. He kissed it and gingerly licked the blood off. He smiled at me and then reached around behind my head, grabbed my neck, and pulled my face to his. He kissed me long and hard. While he was kissing me, he cleaned the blood from my face as well. I felt a very familiar burn rise in my belly and it sent shockwaves down my legs.

When Edward stepped away from me and said, "See? All better now. You'll get better at it, Bella. It was only your first time. You should have seen me the first time. I was a much bigger mess than you are, and I couldn't even follow Carlisle's instructions right. It took me hours to catch a stupid deer," I noticed that he was aroused too. I heard all the words he said, but my concentration was not on what he was saying so much as it was what I wanted to do to him.

I inhaled deeply and tasted the air. I could not detect any of the other Cullens nearby so I backed up a step and crouched. I stood there for a moment, sizing Edward up. I saw him inhale to see if he could detect what I was stalking. He looked at me strangely and in the instant that I knew he was distracted trying to figure out what I was doing, I pounced on him.

Edward had a genuine look of surprise when I jumped on him and knocked him down. I landed on top of him, pinned his arms to the ground, and leaned in to kiss him. When I was an inch from his lips, I stopped and stared into his eyes. He was smiling now, and the smile reached all the way to his eyes. They were beautiful. I had never seen all the different colors his eyes held until now. They were a dark honey-gold. _He's still thirsty. _They were the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. I sat like that for several minutes, absorbing the moment. I knew that he was as aroused as I was, so when I finally leaned in the rest of the way to kiss him, I held his hands where they were with one hand, and with the other one, I yanked off his shirt and discarded it quickly.

I ravaged him with my lips and tongue. I kissed his lips, neck, ears, shoulders, chest, and sucked hard on his nipples. He didn't fight me to get away and when I reached his nipples, he moaned quietly. I looked up at him, smiled, and said, "If I let go of you, are you going to be a good boy?"

He nodded his head vigorously so I released his arms and moved myself down so that I was sitting on his knees. His erection was straining the fabric of his pants and I wagged my finger at him and said, "I thought you were going to be a good boy? This just won't do," and pointed at his erection. He grinned wickedly so I undid his belt, yanked it away from his pants and discarded it as well. In one more deft movement, I had his pants unbuttoned, unzipped, and peeled down to his thighs. I grabbed the waistband of his boxers and laughed when I ripped them off and tossed them in his face.

I leaned in and quickly took his member in my mouth, marveling at how warm and soft it felt to me. Edward's hips thrust up into my mouth and he groaned loudly. I swirled my tongue around the head before sucking him all the way into my mouth and slowly pulling him out. I replaced my lips with my hands and said, "Do you like that?"

"Oh yes, Bella, I like it…you don't have to, love…"

I smiled and said, "I know, but I want to, Edward."

I placed my mouth back on his erection, and his demeanor went directly back to passion. I let my lips and mouth engulf him completely, occasionally grazing him with my teeth as I pulled him out of my mouth, and then plunged him back inside repeatedly.

Edward was clutching at the ground and tossing his head from side to side when I decided it was time to stop. I sat back on my heels and watched him curiously while he panted and gasped for air, as if he needed it. He looked at me longingly and then, in one swift movement, he had his hands on my shoulders and he crushed me to the ground. He kissed me harder than before, and as I had with him, he ravaged my mouth with his tongue. I heard and felt the fabric of my shorts and panties rip and be pulled away and then he plunged his erection into my core with one sharp thrust.

I moaned his name loudly and thrust my body into him. Edward pushed himself up on his arms and stopped moving. He was buried to the hilt inside of me and I could actually feel his member pulsating inside me. He looked into my eyes and said, "And do you like that, love?"

"No. I don't like it, I _love_ it."

"I'm so happy to hear that, angel. You are amazing."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he began plunging into me hard, slamming into my hips with a force that surely would have broken me in half days before. With every thrust he moaned, "My Bella, My Bella, My Bella…"

My core was burning and the dull ache in the pit of my belly screamed for release. I reached up to him with both hands and grabbed handfuls of hair on both sides of his head. My legs locked around his back, and my orgasm crashed over me like a tidal wave. I thrust my hips into him as hard as I could and opened my eyes just in time to see his face contort as his orgasm overtook him and he yelled, "My Bella," one last time. Ecstasy tore through my mind like a cyclone as he collapsed onto my chest panting. I released his hair and let my hands fall to the soft dirt below on the ground. I lay there for a moment trying to gather my wits. The force of our combined orgasms had scrambled my brain and I had to start putting my thoughts back together again. I had the strangest sensation of feeling both of our orgasms in my mind again.

When my thoughts started making sense, I looked down at us. My tank top was in shreds, as well as the rest of my clothes. Edward's pants were hanging off his legs literally by threads. His shirt was ripped up and in a pile nearby on the ground. We both had dirt all over us.

I started to giggle, and then couldn't stop. I laughed until my stomach hurt and was pleasantly surprised that I could still do that.

Edward raised his head up and leaned on his elbow. He watched me laughing with a very satisfied smile on his face. He reached up and traced my lips with the fingers of his free hand. I pulled his fingers into my mouth with my tongue and sucked on them gently.

"Now who is being a naughty girl?"

"I'm mad at you," I said and put on my best pout.

He seemed genuinely concerned when he said, "I'm sorry, love. What did I do? You aren't _hurt_ are you?"

I stared at him. "You can't be serious. You don't honestly believe that you hurt me do you?"

"No, but why are you mad at me then?"

"Because you didn't tell me."

"Love, how would I have known? I am just as new at this as you are. I mean, I had an idea just because of, well, my gift, but I didn't know for sure."

I smiled at him to let him off the hook and he looked relieved.

"Is it better for you now, Edward?"

"I don't know if it is necessarily _better_. It is just different. I don't have to fight my instinct to kill you now at least. That seems to heighten all the feelings I have. I can't say it is better, Bella, because I loved making love to you when you were human. However, I do love making love to you now as well. It's like having two women," he said and grinned.

My ears perked up and I said, "We've got company."

Edward chuckled and said, "Yes, Alice is leaving us a change of clothes."

I was immediately embarrassed. Of course, the other Cullens had heard us again. Edward put his finger over my lips as if to shush me and said, "Please don't be embarrassed, love. I have been having to not only _listen _to all of them have sex for decades, but also _see _it in their minds when I couldn't get away from the house fast enough. It is _their _turn to have to listen to us. Maybe we will run them all off and they will leave us alone soon."

Edward withdrew from me and rolled over onto his back next to me. He reached for my hand and I laced my fingers in his.

"I hope you are not very thirsty right now, love, because there is not an animal within miles of here."

I snickered and said, "Why ever not?" in the most innocent voice I could create.

Edward chuckled and said, "Silly Bella."

We laid there for a long time just looking up at the sky and holding hands. I found that it was quite easy to stay in the same position for as long as I wanted to. My body did not become uncomfortable or need to shift at all. Darkness fell on us, soon the sky filled with stars, and still we laid there. When the aurora started flashing across the sky, I gasped. It was so beautiful. I had never seen anything like it.

I lay there watching the aurora dance across the sky and became acutely aware of a new smell in our surroundings. I heard whatever it was that I smelled crashing around in the woods, obviously oblivious to our presence.

I quietly rolled over and stood up into a crouch. My top was falling off so I gently ripped it away and tossed it on Edward as I snuck off.

I crept around to keep myself upwind and followed the smell until I saw it in a small clearing. I smiled. _Time to find out what Emmett likes so much about grizzly bears._

I stalked my prey like a lion. I crept through the undergrowth of the forest until I was close enough to almost touch the huge bear. The burn in my throat was screaming and the instinct to kill the bear seemed second nature. I sat back on my heels to wait for my moment. The bear turned just slightly and I pounced.

I was well into my meal and enjoying it when I became aware that I was being watched. I looked up to see whom or what was watching me, and Edward was there. He was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, stark naked, smirking at me. I growled at him and turned my back to him to finish my feast. The burn in my throat finally abated as I finished off the bear. I licked my lips and sat back on my heels again. Edward was still there.

"Are you enjoying yourself," I asked.

"I can't wait to tell Emmett," he said, with a huge smile on his face. "We do need to clean up after ourselves though, love."

I looked down at the large bear. It did seem a waste just to leave it. I looked at Edward questioningly and he said, "Would you like a bearskin rug for our bedroom?"

I nodded and said, "Edward, I don't…" I looked down at the bear and the thought of skinning it made me feel…nauseous.

"Don't worry, love. I'll take care of it. Why don't you go back and get our clothes while I get the skin and discard the rest. Besides, killing a grizzly is illegal here. We don't want any nosey wildlife biologists or park rangers asking questions."

I kissed him and headed back to where our clothing was. I dressed quickly in the white cotton skirt and blouse that Alice had brought for me, shaking my head. I sat down on a rock, and waited for Edward to return. Before long, he was back with the bearskin slung over his shoulder. He dressed, and we headed for the house hand in hand. When we arrived, the rest of the family was already there. We walked in through the front door and Edward threw the bearskin on the floor at Emmett's feet triumphantly.

"No! You didn't!"

Edward pointed at me.

"By herself?" he asked Edward.

"By herself."

Emmett was incredulous. Edward was smirking. Alice was bouncing up and down. Jasper walked over to examine the bearskin. He looked up and said, "This was probably a seven foot bear. Amazing for your first time out, Bella. Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Jasper."

Emmett was still in shock. He didn't even make smart comments about the other activities that Edward and I had engaged in while we were in the woods. Finally, he spoke. "I looked for a bear all day. I was craving grizzly today, and do you think I could find one? Oh no! But she goes out and kills a seven-foot grizzly on the first day? Amazing!"

He pounded me on the back and set to examining the skin. He, Edward, and Jasper took it to the garage to hang it up to dry.

Esme came to my side and hugged me. She stepped back with my hands in hers and said, "I am so happy, Bella. You look just wonderful, and seem to be doing so well!"

I smiled at her and said, "Thank you," quietly.

Carlisle said, "Bella? Could I talk with you for a few minutes?"

"Sure, Carlisle, I don't see why not."

Edward came back into the house and grabbed my hand. "Does this really have to be now, Carlisle?"

"The sooner the better," Carlisle said while looking intently at Edward.

Edward let go of my hand and nodded at me to follow Carlisle. He walked with me as we entered Carlisle's study. It looked almost like his study back in Forks, but the bookshelves were almost empty.

Carlisle followed my eyes and said, "The rest of our belongings will be delivered in a couple of days."

I nodded in understanding as Edward and I both sat in the chairs across from Carlisle's desk. Edward took my hand and stroked it softly. I shivered at the feel of his skin so warm and soft against mine. I was amazed at how different he felt than he had before.

Carlisle folded his hands on his desk and leaned forward. "I don't know how much Edward has told you, Bella."

Edward answered for me. "We really haven't discussed any of it yet, Carlisle. I'm sorry; it just hasn't been the right time yet."

Carlisle nodded.

I spoke then. "I realize that I am the reason we are in Alaska, but I don't remember much of what happened. I remember that Edward and I returned from Paris and that I was ill. After that, I don't remember much until… I woke up," I finished quickly. I really didn't want Edward to know how much I really did remember of the change.

"Yes, you were sick," said Carlisle. "You had a rare virus. We are still not sure what it was, but it nearly killed you." Carlisle was subtly wringing his hands on the desk, and I was curious as to what he was nervous about, but said nothing, letting him continue. "We knew that you were likely going to die if we did not change you, so we spoke with Sam about the treaty. He agreed to allow us to change you, while keeping the treaty in effect. We do, however, have to keep you away from Forks until we know for sure that you won't have any problems being around humans."

I nodded and looked at Edward, who was staring at me. I smiled and looked back at Carlisle. "Thank you, both of you." Edward squeezed my hand and the corners of Carlisle's lips turned upward into a hint of a smile before he went on.

"I had to sedate you heavily and paralyze you with medication to put you on a ventilator because you couldn't breathe. That is probably why you don't remember much. The medication I was giving you was causing an amnesic effect. Being paralyzed with chemicals and on a ventilator is not something that a human mind handles well. It is best to give the amnesic so that it is something you would not have to deal with. I'm sorry if you remember any of that now, or in the future."

"I do remember once thinking that I needed to move my arms and legs but couldn't. It was fleeting. I really don't remember much else."

"I'd like to know what you do remember about your transformation, Bella. I don't ever want to have to do it again, but if I do, I want to do it right."

"Can we talk about it some other time, Carlisle?" I asked hopefully. I wanted to be truthful with him, but didn't want Edward there when I did.

Carlisle nodded. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it right now, Bella. Whenever you are ready will be fine."

I nodded my head vigorously at him while he pulled a leather-bound book out of his desk drawer and handed it to me. "This is for you to write in, Bella. I want you to take it with you wherever you go for awhile."

I turned it over in my hands and looked up at him.

"It's for you to write your memories of being human in. If you don't write them down now, they will fade with time, and you may forget them. I have found it to be helpful for the rest of the family."

"Oh, thank you, Carlisle."

"You're welcome, Bella."

Edward stood and said, "Thank you, Carlisle, for not pushing her."

"Of course, Edward. I wouldn't think of doing that."

We exited Carlisle's study and found Emmett and Jasper wrestling on the living room floor. Alice and Rose were standing above us on the landing above the living room.

"Bella, you want to go shopping with us?" Alice asked.

"Shopping?"

"On-line," Rose clarified.

"Oh! I thought you meant…. Um, no thank you. Not right now. I have some other things to do."

Rose smiled and said, "That's okay, Bella. You'll have plenty of time for on-line shopping with Alice!"

I giggled and headed towards our bedroom. Edward followed me and chuckled when he looked at our broken bed on the floor. I smiled at him, and sat down at the desk in the corner. I found a pen and opened the book that Carlisle had given me.

"I'm going to start writing in here, Edward. Do you mind?"

He came over and kissed the top of my head. "Of course not, love. I'm going to be right over here by the fireplace reading."

I smiled and turned back to the book, took a deep breath, and started writing. I let every memory that flew through my mind pour onto the page. I wrote about my childhood experiences clear up to the time when I met Edward.

I turned to Edward and asked, "Edward? My diary from Charlie's, is it here?"

"No, love, but it is on its way with the rest of our belongings from Forks. You will have it back soon."

I smiled at him and went back to writing. I started writing about our wedding and honeymoon while it was on my mind, smiling with each word that I wrote on the pages. I relived all the wonderful times Edward and I had enjoyed on our honeymoon as I wrote. I stopped for a moment and looked at the words on the page. How silly I had been to insist that Edward and I consummate our marriage while I was human. Had I known what it would be like once I was changed, I would have insisted that he change me on our wedding night. A thought occurred to me and I turned back to Edward.

"What did you tell Charlie and Renee?"

"I told them you were sick. Carlisle has been in touch with them over the last days and I am going to call them tomorrow and explain that you are recovering and that we are going to start school. I will tell them that you will email and call them soon. After that, what we tell them will be up to you."

"Oh."

"Bella? I thought that was what you wanted."

"I didn't get to say goodbye and I can't talk to them on the phone right now, can I?"

Edward shook his head and quickly crossed the floor to hold me in his arms. "I'm sorry, Bella. I'm sorry it had to be that way."

I looked up at him and searched his face. He looked ashamed. I couldn't understand him feeling that way. "Edward, are you sorry that you saved me?"

"What do you mean?"

"You look… ashamed. What do you have to be ashamed of? You saved me. You saved my life. Just like Carlisle had to save you, you saved me."

"Oh, I… I guess I did."

I was curious at his reaction, but didn't pursue it. "Thank you, Edward. Thank you for saving me and giving me this. I was always afraid that you would not be able to do this for me, but you did, and now I am yours forever."

Edward hugged me tight and held me for a long time. "You're welcome, Bella. I love you so very much."

As Edward held me, I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of home and family. I could hear Emmett and Jasper in the living room. They were watching television and tossing occasional insults at one another in jest. I could hear papers rustling somewhere and Esme calling Carlisle to come look at some blueprints with her. Alice and Rosalie were on a computer in another part of the house clicking with enthusiasm and I shuddered to think of all the money that the Cullens were probably spending in these few minutes.

Edward led me over to the overstuffed leather chair in front of the fireplace that he had been sitting in and sat down, pulling me onto his lap. I glanced at the table next to the chair and said, "What 'cha reading?"

He held up the book and I read the title on the cover. I raised an eyebrow as I read, "Paradise Lost?" aloud. Edward shrugged and put the book back down on the table.

"Are you through writing, love?"

"I'm almost out of book to write in," I said, and laughed.

Edward smiled at me lovingly. He kissed my hand and asked if I was thirsty again.

"No, not really."

I laid my head against Edward's shoulder and closed my eyes. I sat there quietly thinking that this was heaven to be with Edward like this. We could do whatever we wanted to, whenever we wanted to. Edward was absent-mindedly stroking my arm and his touch felt like bliss. I never dreamed in all my time that I spent with Edward while I was human that being with him like this could be so wonderful. It made losing my humanity easier to swallow. Writing in my journal had been difficult and I had begun to grieve for my human life. I would never let Edward know that though. I never wanted him to feel bad for doing what he had to do. We were two parts of a whole that could not exist without the other part.

As I lay there with my eyes closed, I faintly heard Edward say, "I love you so much, Bella."

I whispered, "I love you too, Edward."

"What?"

My eyes fluttered open. "What?"

"What did you just say, Bella?"

"I said…I said I love you too. I heard you say you loved me and I was just…Edward? What's wrong?" He was looking at me with the most curious look.

"You _heard _me say that?"

"Yes…" I nodded my head slowly.

"But… I didn't say it aloud, Bella. I was _thinking _it."

I sat up now. "What? You were? Are you sure?"

He laughed now. "Yes, Bella. I'm sure."

I listened hard to see if I could hear what he was thinking now, but I couldn't hear anything except for the noises in the house and outside. I shook my head and said, "It's impossible, Edward. I can't hear you now."

We stared at each other for a moment and then we both laughed. Edward hugged me and said, "I knew you would be special, Bella. You apparently have a special talent. We shall have to experiment and see what it is, love."

We sat for another moment until we both heard Carlisle calling everyone together for a family meeting.

**_End Notes: Kudos to Mistress Lillie Cullen, without whom I could never have written rough vamp sex. LOL Please don't forget to review. Edward and I are waiting. :)_**


	18. Chapter 18 Bella's Gift

**_A/N Several of you asked for the last chapter from Edward's POV. I wrote it, but it didn't really add much to the story, except for this first bit, when she first awakens, so I have included that part here. Further down, the story continues where Bella's left off, still in Edward's POV. I hope you all like it. The reviews have been amazing and Edward and I are both so proud. Keep them coming please! As always, big thanks to Lillie Cullen for being the best beta ever, and a wonderful woman besides!_**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight. I am still holding Edward for ransom, and Stephenie hasn't paid up so I'm keeping him! I also don't own anything Madonna, but Rosalie seems to like to use her to torture Edward, and I don't cross Rosalie. _

_**Edward – **__Upon Bella's Awakening_

I watched her and listened to her as her heart slowed. I could hear her respirations change, and I knew that Bella's human life would end soon. I closed my eyes and savored the sound of her last few heartbeats. I emblazoned that sound on my memory and when it finally stopped, I panicked momentarily within myself. It was over. Bella was no longer human, she was vampire.

I opened my eyes and looked at her. She was lying very still with her eyes still closed. She didn't breath for a minute, but eventually she inhaled. She was experimenting. I anxiously waited for her to fully awaken. Alice, who was standing in the other room, sent me a calming thought that Bella was not frightened and was not going to come screaming out of the bed. I was grateful. I didn't know if, after all that, I could handle Bella going berserk when she woke up.

As she inhaled, a slight smile crossed her face and I longed to know what she was smelling that made her smile. Still, I waited until she opened her eyes. Though I knew I should expect it, I was slightly startled when I saw the crimson color of her irises. I suppose a part of me had hoped that her chocolate brown eyes would stay that way, but the rational part of me knew that was silly. I stood and leaned towards her. "Bella?"

She sat up and swung her long lovely legs over the side of the bed with such grace that I was instantly taken by how much her movements had changed. She looked around the room tentatively.

"Where am I?"

Her voice was like a thousand angels singing. My dead heart leapt for joy at each new discovery of my new and improved Bella. I idly wondered why I had been so against changing her all this time. She was gorgeous, from her chestnut mane that almost glowed, to her perfect small feet that were adorned with the blue ballerina slippers that Rosalie and Alice had chosen for her. The blue satin dress was in perfect contrast to her ivory skin. Her full lips were a perfect pink hue and I longed for her body instantly. She was looking at herself, as though checking to make sure she was all there. Carefully, I said, "We are in Alaska. Bella, look at me please?"

Her sanguine orbs fluttered up to stare into mine. I couldn't help myself. I was dazzled. Immediately. I could barely think. She was staring me as though I were not real, and I desperately yearned to read her mind, but alas, I could not. Her mouth opened, and her angelic voice said, "I'm dead?"

I chuckled. There was such a mixture of emotion within my being that I couldn't help myself. I knew she was confused, and that I should not be laughing at her, but I was just so happy to see her before me that it came out. I felt like a giggling teenaged girl. I stifled my further response before speaking. "No, love. You are not dead. You have just been reborn."

She continued to stare at me with questions burning in her eyes. When she stood and stepped towards me, she looked as though she were lighter than air. She could have swept past me with a grace that would have stunned even the angels. She stopped before me, and reached for my face. When her hand found it, I encountered a treasure trove of emotion sweeping through me. She continued to stare at me as though seeing me for the first time. I placed my hand over hers and stared back at the beauty of my Bella.

While she watched me, her eyes darkened, and sadness filled them. I was tormented by the anguish I could see in her face. At least one thing had not changed. Bella's face was still an open book of emotion. I almost sighed in relief as I put my arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. "Please don't be sad, Bella," I said, with guilt coursing through me. "I thought this was what you wanted. You were going to die, and I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't… live without you." I practically choked on my words.

She leaned up and looked into my eyes again. I could see that she was still trying to sort out what was happening. As I looked down at her, I could not resist her lips any longer. She was overwhelming me with her beauty more with each passing second. I crushed my lips to hers. They were so warm and soft. They molded perfectly, as mine molded perfectly against hers. It felt so natural to kiss her this way. I pressed my tongue against her lips, requesting entrance. When my request was satisfied, and she opened her mouth, our tongues danced together, exploring one another with a passion and fury that had never been present before. I realized that this was because I was no longer afraid. I could not hurt her anymore, even by accident, and I wanted to show her how wonderful we would be together now. I knew that she was probably thirsty, and that I should take care of that need first, but she didn't seem to mind my long deep kisses.

As our kisses increased in intensity, Bella wrapped her arms around me and pulled her legs up to wrap them around my waist. I held her. Tight. I had never wanted Bella more. I checked my mind for the fiend that had tortured me so just days ago, and he was nowhere to be found. No doubt, he was somewhere sulking that I had not followed his advice when he admonished me to kill her. Utter relief washed over me. I would never have to fight that beast again when it came to Bella. I was free. I felt as though I had been imprisoned for a hundred years and the shackles had just been released…

_**Edward – **__Upon Bella answering his thoughts…just as Carlisle is calling the family meeting_

Bella shocked me when she answered my thoughts. In all the years I had spent reading other peoples' minds against my will, no one had ever read mine like that. My mind was now racing to try to figure out what Bella's gift was. I still could not read her mind and that was frustrating to me. I had hoped that I could hear her thoughts after she transformed, but nothing had changed. Her mind was as empty to me as it always had been.

I was so thrilled at how lovely Bella had turned out. She was a vision of beauty unlike I had ever seen. I had heard Rosalie despairing over how beautiful Bella was and it brought me a great amount of satisfaction to see Rosalie squirm over someone else's beauty. I think that Rose knew I heard these thoughts because she was now carefully blocking me by singing Madonna in her head. _"C'mon Vogue… let your body move to the music. C'mon Vogue… let your body go with the flow" _Ugh. She knew how much I detested her choice in music, and particularly that I disapproved of her obsession with Madonna. She knew it gave me a headache, which was, I'm sure, why she continued to do it.

The rest of the family had nothing but kind thoughts about Bella and how wonderful and calm she was. I was pleased at how calm she was as well, though I knew it might not last. She did so well with her first hunt that I knew she would be a proficient and voracious hunter soon. It would be some time before I allowed her to be around any humans though. None of us had any idea how she was going to respond to that. Bella did not want to make any mistakes and I had promised her I would not let her. I didn't want to let her down. Bella and I would have a lot of work to do in the next few months and years.

I allowed myself to think about making love to Bella, but only briefly. Every time the thought crossed my mind, I became incredibly aroused. I had feared that she would be so wild when she awakened that we would not make love for months, maybe years. I was thrilled beyond belief that we had been able to do it moments after she awakened. The experience, for me, had been more than amazing. I could not believe the difference in my perception of it. When Bella was human, I had to struggle with my mind every second that I was with her. I had to remain in control so I would not hurt her. Now, it was different. I could let go. I still had not let go completely, and wondered what she would think when I did. I was almost afraid to let her see what would happen. The encounters we had since she awakened were already almost animalistic. I wasn't sure what it would be like when I gave myself over to the experience and just let it happen without thinking about every move. I wasn't even sure that I could do that with Bella. I was almost ashamed of the way I had already acted. Bella did not deserve to have me behave that way. She deserved to be made love to slowly, to be savored. I had to admit to myself that I had thoroughly enjoyed Bella's newfound aggression when it came to sex. I had to stop thinking about it because I was getting aroused again. Thankfully, Carlisle called a family meeting before I could get too carried away.

We all met in the dining room where Bella had changed. The bed and all of the medical equipment had been removed and a large oak dining room table was there now. My family had been busy over the last several hours while I sat and read. I immediately felt guilty that I had not helped them, though no one had indicated, either in thought or word, that I should have been helping.

I looked around at each of my family members, taking in their thoughts. I was proud that they were my family. I agreed with Esme's thoughts that our family was now complete. I held Bella's hand while Carlisle spoke.

"As the leader of this family, I want to thank each of you for the sacrifices you are making to be here with Bella."

Bella winced.

"It has been a long time since any of us stayed at home to take care of a newborn. Bella seems to be doing wonderfully, but we all know there will be struggles. The first struggle is upon us. Later today, the rest of our belongings from Forks will be delivered by two delivery men. We need to make plans for what we need to do."

I listened to all of their silent answers, and they all said the same thing. _"Take Bella far out into the woods and keep her there until they have gone."_ I decided to speak for everyone.

"I think I need to take Bella away from the house. I don't want to test her with this so soon. She is doing well, but she has not smelled a human. There is also the fact that her eyes are crimson and would scare the delivery men anyway."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Bella hung her head and looked at her hands.

"Don't be ashamed, Bella. You cannot help the way your eyes look any more than you would be able to control your reaction to their blood." Carlisle's words spoke for all of us.

Bella looked at each one of us and whispered, "Thank you all. I know that this is not what you would have chosen if you would have had a choice."

Alice spoke now saying, "Yes we would have, Bella. You were destined to become one of us. All of us wanted this as much for Edward as for you. None of us are sorry to be here with you."

I silently decided to thank Alice for her words and she answered me aloud. "Well, Edward, it's true."

I looked into each of their faces and they all told the same story, even Rose who said, "I know that I have not always been as supportive of you and Edward as I should have been, Bella. Nevertheless, I cannot deny how happy you are together. I would not wish any angst on Edward at all. I want him to be happy." She squeezed Emmett's hand then and finished, "I found my happiness with Emmett and I want everyone in our family to have the same happiness. I promise to stay and help you as much as possible."

Bella finally spoke. "Thank you, Rose," she said in a small voice. She looked around at everyone else and said, "Thank you all."

Everyone nodded at her and various people voiced their acknowledgement.

Bella looked up at me and said, "When do we need to leave, Edward?"

"Not for a while, love."

Carlisle cleared his throat and everyone at the table burst into laughter. He looked around at everyone and said, "Oh, it's habit to me now. I guess I can't help pretending to be as human as possible around you, Bella."

Bella smiled demurely and reached for my hand. When her hand touched mine, an electricity passed through us both and I heard her voice say, _"I want you, Edward."_ I glanced over at her to see why on earth she was saying this at the table with our entire family sitting there, but she was gazing intently at Carlisle. I was thoroughly confused.

Carlisle continued, "I think we all need to find something to do to occupy our time. I am going to work at the hospital in town soon so I have my distraction planned. What do the rest of you plan to do?"

I spoke up immediately. "Bella and I are going to enroll in some on-line college courses." Carlisle nodded and Bella looked mutinous.

"Were you planning on telling me?"

"Yes, love. I'm sorry. I just thought of it today and… I'm sorry. If you don't want to…"

"I'm teasing you, Edward," she interrupted.

I was affronted and looked at her with consternation. I wasn't sure how long it was going to take me to get used to the new confidence that Bella was exuding. When she smiled and fluttered her eyelashes at me, all thoughts of bewilderment left me and I distinctly heard her voice in my head. _"Please don't be mad. I can't wait to get you alone."_

I shook my head and looked at her again. Her lips had not moved. I concentrated on her, ignoring what the rest of my family was saying around the table. Her eyes bored into mine and I heard it again. _"Can you hear me, Edward?"_

I was visibly startled. All of the conversation at the table stopped and I heard myself say, "Yes, I can hear you."

All eyes turned to us.

"Edward? Are you… Is something wrong?"

"No, Carlisle, nothing is wrong." I was smiling now. I looked around at all of them and then back at Bella who looked elated. "I heard… Bella's… mind…"

Alice squealed. "Can you hear it all the time?"

I slowly shook my head. "Only when she concentrates on me, I think. Bella?"

"I've been trying to get you to hear me since I awakened. I finally figured out there was a connection the last time we… um… well, I felt your, erm… _satisfaction_ along with mine."

I glared at Emmett to threaten him against saying what was on his mind. He grinned and sat back in his chair. Rosalie backhanded him and looked curiously at Bella. "Can you hear him then?" She gestured towards me.

Bella looked slightly uncomfortable when she said, "I have heard some…"

I nodded. "Yes, she heard me earlier when we were sitting in the chair together." I looked at Alice. "Can you see anything in regards to this?"

"No, I haven't seen anything yet. I will keep watching though, now that I know about it."

The family all seemed quite interested, in their thoughts, that Bella could hear me too. Most of them were plotting ways to get her to break into my mind and tell them things. I shook my head at them and turned my attention back to Bella.

She had turned back to Carlisle who was speaking again.

"Do we need to assess our financial position at all?"

I shrugged and said, "We are fine as far as I know." I looked over at Jasper who tended to watch this more closely than any of us, mostly because of his wife's tendency to spend more money than anyone else.

"We are fine right now, although I would like to do some more investing. It is best if we can continue to accrue as much as we can for the future. The last two large purchases were this house and the chateau. They made a small dent in our financial situation, but not much of one. I would still like everyone's blessing to do some more investing."

Everyone agreed and deciding there was no more family business to discuss, we all dispersed. Emmett went to the television and found a boxing match to watch. Rosalie went to her bedroom to check her makeup. Jasper went to his room to get online and start looking at investments with Alice in tow. Esme went to her study to look at blueprints and decorators catalogs. Carlisle went to his study to read. Bella and I went to our room where Bella flopped on the fixed bed and stared lovingly at me.

I crawled onto the bed next to her and laid there twirling a strand of her hair with my fingers absent-mindedly.

"How are you feeling, love?"

"I'm fine, Edward. I don't really feel all that much different other than the obvious."

"I'm glad to hear that, love."

Bella leaned over and kissed me passionately and when she did, I could hear her mind saying, _"I love you, Edward. I want you so much. I wish we were alone right now."_

Rather than breaking away from her kiss to speak, I answered her with my mind. _"I love you too, Bella. No one ever said we had to be loud and wild."_

Bella giggled and I knew she had heard me. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked around the room. "Do we have a study, Edward?"

"Not yet, love, but I plan on adding one on. Esme is working on plans for additions to the house."

I went back to kissing Bella and her arms encircled my neck and her fingers went to my hair. _I'm so glad that this didn't change._ I was so engrossed in our kisses, that I didn't notice the delivery truck or the thoughts of the drivers until they were almost upon us.

I jumped up and grabbed Bella's hand. Six vampires appeared in our bedroom doorway.

"Edward, it's too late to get her out of here, they are early," Rosalie hissed at me.

Bella looked bewildered for a moment and then she smelled it. We all knew exactly when she smelled it because we all smelled it as well. I said, "Hold your breath, Bella," but I was too late.

Carlisle rushed to the door to meet the deliverymen outside before they got to the house. The rest of the family surrounded us while I took Bella's hand and led her out of the room, through the living room, and out the back door. She was not fighting me and looked terrified. As soon as we were out of the house, I knew it was the wrong thing to do. The wind was from the South and blew the scent of the two men right around the back of the house. I looked over at Emmett as Bella began to crouch and he grabbed her legs while I grabbed her around her chest, pinning her arms to her side, and we ran.

Jasper ran with us, sending waves of calm over all of us. I finally told him to stop or I was going to drop her when all of my limbs turned to jelly. Bella was struggling now and it was hard to keep hold of her. Jasper had to help Emmett with her legs after she got one loose and kicked him in an area that was not very lady-like. I hoped we were far enough away from the house that the humans would not hear her screaming, "Let GO of me! I want them, Edward! I want them! Put me DOWN! Please, Edward. Just once, please?"

I sniffed the air for animals close by so I could get her to feed, but could hear all the scurries of their feet as they ran away from my crazed wife who was screaming. We put her down on the ground and the three of us practically had to sit on her to keep her there. Finally deciding that sitting on her would be easier, I straddled her chest and pinned her arms with my knees. She was growling and snapping at me with her teeth. Emmett, who was having difficulty with one leg, was snickering. _"How many times need I remind you that you were going to have a tiger by the tail?" _he thought.

"Shut up, Emmett."

He started reciting the rosters of all this year's NFL teams in his mind.

Jasper was busy thinking about how difficult newborns were to handle and was thinking back on his days with Maria. "Watch out for her teeth, Edward."

I nodded, keeping my hands and arms as far away from her bared teeth as possible. After several agonizing minutes, she calmed suddenly and gasped for breath that she did not need. She relaxed immediately, but none of us moved. I couldn't tell if she was really calm, or if she was just toying with us.

She opened her eyes to look at me and they were filled with fear and regret. Emmett and Jasper released her legs and I jumped off of her chest. She didn't move for a long moment.

"Bella, it's okay now. It's over, love."

"What did I do?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"Nothing, love. We got you out of the house in time. I'm sorry, love. I should have been paying closer attention."

She sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. She rocked back and forth and I could see her shoulders heave with her sobs. I gathered her into my lap and let her cry.

We were on the edge of a clearing and I smelled a large herd of deer. I glanced at Emmett and Jasper who nodded. They smelled them too. I whispered to Bella, "Let's get you fed, love. There is a herd of deer coming."

She lifted her head and inhaled deeply. She jumped up immediately and crouched behind a tree. Jasper, Emmett, and I took positions as well. It was a large herd. We didn't have to wait long before about thirty deer began streaming into the clearing. We were upwind from them, so didn't have to worry that they would smell us. I glanced over at Bella whose teeth were bared and knew that she would be leading our attack. I watched her as I ran behind her and she quickly took down four of the deer. Not concerned about her running for the house, I took down several of my own, while Emmett and Jasper took down theirs as well.

After feeding, Jasper decided to go to the house and check to see if the coast was clear for Bella to return. I heard him calling us and we took off. Bella was resisting going back to the house as she was embarrassed. Emmett and I did our best to explain to her that her reaction was perfectly normal and she had nothing to be embarrassed about.

"But, Edward, I made a fool of myself."

"No you didn't, Bella. You didn't do anything that the rest of us haven't done at some point in our lives. Most of us have made mistakes, Bella. I promised you that I would not let you, and I won't. If I have anything to do with it, you will not ever harm a human. You just have to trust me."

Bella looked resigned and continued her journey back to the house. As we walked, I thought over the last couple of days. I was pleased that Bella was still Bella, for the most part. She was more beautiful, if that were possible, and more graceful. I was happy that I did not have to watch out for her falling all the time anymore. I was also intrigued by her gift, which I knew was just starting to form. I wondered if eventually she would be able to read everyone's minds, or just mine. I also wondered if eventually, I would be able to read her mind just like I could everyone else's. Although that would make things easier for me, part of me knew that Bella would not like that. Obviously, she still had some sort of shield over her mind and I hoped that she would somehow be able to hang on to it. I could not imagine Bella's mind as an open book like everyone else's. I had spent so much time learning to read her in other ways that I wasn't sure I wanted to have the ability to become lazy in this respect. I almost began to grieve about it. I started to fear that the endless connection that Bella and I seemed to share would be broken if I could read her mind all the time and I knew for sure that I did not want her reading mine.

As we approached the house, I pushed these thoughts aside. There were more pressing matters to attend to now. All of our furniture and belongings from Forks were going to have to be sorted and put in their respective places, and I knew the scent of the humans would linger in the air. I squeezed Bella's hand tightly and warned her as we walked in, "Their scent will still be here, Bella, you may want to hold your breath."

Bella glanced at me and stopped breathing immediately as we entered the living room. Upon entering, we found the rest of the family already arguing about where certain things were going to be placed. One of the arguments that was ensuing was between Rosalie and Esme about my piano.

"Why should his piano take up the whole living room, Esme? It just doesn't make sense! I think we should put it in storage until he gets a room built to put it in. I don't know why the rest of us have to give up space for that monstrosity!"

I searched Rosalie's thoughts for what her objection to my piano was and found it. She didn't think there would be room enough for the flat-screen and couch that Emmett loved so dearly.

"Rosalie, you are being rather selfish, don't you think? This home is bigger than the one in Forks, there is plenty of room. I know that you are disappointed in the size of the garage and I told you we would take care of that as soon as possible. Edward asked about his additions to the house first. I'm sorry, I'm trying to be fair here, but arguing is not going to help." Esme sounded rather stern as she was chiding Rosalie. Her thoughts were even more stern. _She needs to stop this or I'm going to make her design and build her own garage!_

I chuckled lightly at the family argument going on. Bella looked from Esme to Rosalie to me with questioning in her eyes. Thankfully, I could not hear her thoughts. I stepped between my mother and sister to try to sort out the problem.

"Rosalie, I will place the piano back in the corner of the room. There will be more than enough space for Emmett's television and sofa. I will also be responsible for the building of my own additions to the house so that you and Emmett can work on your garage. I will just get Bella, Jasper, and Alice to help me. Then, you, Emmett, and Esme can work on your project. It won't take any time at all, I promise."

Esme's thoughts were of pure thanks for my stepping in to resolve the situation. Rosalie was still brooding, but nodded her agreement to my proposal. She stalked away to oversee her clothing being placed in her closet by Emmett, who had his mind on one thing, and one thing only. _I don't know why she has all these stupid clothes. Where does she think she is going out here in the sticks? She could have left most of them at home, it's not like we are not going back, and it's not like her size is going to change while we are here._

I was amused at my brother grumbling about having to put away several wardrobe boxes full of Rosalie's clothes. I wondered what his mood would be when he got to the hundreds of pairs of shoes.

I turned back to Bella who was still holding her breath. I took both of her hands in mine and said, "Okay, Bella, breathe, but don't let go of my hands. Just try to control your reaction to the smell. Are you ready?"

She nodded and, squeezing my hands tightly, inhaled. Her eyes flashed immediately. Jasper sent a wave of calm from upstairs where he was putting away all of his books. I held on to her and stared into her eyes. I felt her relaxing and she said, "It isn't as strong now, Edward."

I nodded to her and she continued taking shallow breaths. She relaxed her grip on my hands and began to breathe just like she always had. I smelled her cool vampire breath and caught a scent that I had not previously noticed. Her breath smelled exactly like her blood used to smell. I could not help the smile on my face as I inhaled deeply, moving closer to her face.

"What is it, Edward?"

"Your breath."

"Oh, is it bad?"

"No, it's perfect." I inhaled again. _Why didn't I notice this before?_

Bella gave me a strange look and said, "What do you mean, Edward? I don't understand and I can't read you?"

I was startled slightly by this statement and stepped back to look at her. "You can't read me?"

She suddenly looked like a three-year-old caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "What do you mean, you can't read me, Bella?"

"Oh, nothing, I just, I…" she looked at Esme, then back at me.

"Bella?"

"I… I… I was trying to read your mind… and I couldn't… I couldn't see what you were… "

I finally chuckled at her, deciding that she was embarrassed enough. I looked at her cheeks longingly, wishing that they would turn pink, but they didn't.

"Your breath smells exactly like your blood used to, Bella. I hope it stays that way," I said, and smiled my best dashing smile at her.

She laughed nervously and said, "Oh… I thought maybe it smelled like deer fur or something."

Esme laughed and kissed Bella on the cheek. "I'm so proud of you, Bella. You are just so lovely." She walked away with thoughts of how perfect our family was now, and I had to tend to agree with her somewhat. Though I was grieving for Bella the human, my singer, I was fascinated by this new creature, Bella the vampire, my eternal soul-mate.

Bella and I dove in to help get all of the family's furniture and personal items put in the correct places. I carried Bella's beside table from the house in Forks into our bedroom and placed it next to the bed. Bella turned to me from the box that she was going through and looked curiously at the bedside table.

"What is it, love?"

"I can't exactly remember, but there is something significant about that table."

I looked at the plain table. It was made of oak, which was why I had asked for it. It matched the other bedroom furniture we had. It had one drawer and an open area beneath the drawer. I could not imagine what was significant about it. Bella walked over to it, staring at it as though mesmerized. She bent over, opened the drawer, and took out two envelopes.

I watched her as she opened one and looked at the piece of paper inside. She tossed that one aside, and opened the other. Her eyes lit up and she smiled at me before dashing out of the room calling for Alice.

"Alice, remember those pictures that were in the locket I bought for Edward?"

"Yes."

"They're here! I had forgotten that I put them in the bedside table and they are here Alice! I really wanted to find out who they were if we could. Do you think we can?"

"I don't know, Bella. Let me see them."

I heard them discussing different options as to how to find out who the pictures belonged to. I wondered why Bella was so determined to find out, but decided that this was a project best left to Alice and Bella. I reasoned that if she wanted my assistance, she would ask for it. I went back to unpacking.

A couple of hours later we all had everything put away, as best we could. I took Bella's hand and we went to find my mother. We were going to have to get busy building if I was going to have room for all of our books, music, the piano, and our other belongings. I wanted Bella and I to have a private area of the house that we could call our own. I knew that Bella was not used to sharing a home with so many people and that she would appreciate the privacy. Esme, Bella, and I spent the remainder of the day choosing building materials and tweaking Esme's plans.

Late in the afternoon, early evening, Bella announced, "I'm thirsty." I smirked. She was quite a bit more aggressive about many things now, and I was enjoying it.

"Let's go then, sweetheart."

She nodded and followed me out the door. We ran side by side for several miles. I stayed alert for prey, but let her lead our hunt. She found a herd of deer without too much difficulty and we both fed. When we were finished, I looked around to see that we were on the side of a mountain that rose up above tree line.

I took Bella's hand and led her up above the trees. We found a nice ledge not too far from the top of the mountain to sit on. We watched the sun set in silence and as darkness overtook us, the aurora started to flash green across the sky. I looked over at Bella and could see the green aurora reflected in her eyes. I found that I was entranced by her beauty. _"I want you, Bella," _I thought.

She turned to look at me and answered silently, _"I want you, too, Edward."_

Our lips met tenderly and we gently explored each other with our hands. It was the first time since Bella had awakened that we had not come together in a frenzy of passion. We laid back on the ledge, under the stars and the aurora, and languidly moved against each other. Our hands and lips moved over each other's bodies slowly and deliberately. Eventually, we both found ourselves naked under the night sky, the moon rising slowly to the southeast. I glanced at the full moon and then turned my gaze to Bella's amazing body, bathed in the moonlight.

I ran a finger from her chin to her belly button slowly as she stared into my eyes. I let my hand wander across her belly and to her hip, hitching her leg up around me. She moaned softly. I pulled her body against mine so that she could feel my arousal next to her skin. She pushed against me gently and elicited a soft moan from my own mouth.

We kissed deeply and passionately, tenderly rocking towards each other. When I could no longer wait, I entered her slowly, delighting in the feeling of her as each inch of me pushed inside, plumbing her depths. She sighed each time I pushed deeper. When I was fully sheathed inside of her, I closed my eyes briefly to enjoy the sensation of her body pulsing around me, squeezing and releasing me.

I heard her voice in my head, softly urging me on. It was the most erotic thing that I could imagine. My inner voice answered her, and I hoped that she could hear me. When her voice responded to mine, I felt my being immersed in joy. I began thrusting against her, softly at first, but gaining in momentum. Our inner voices continued to speak to each other.

"_Is that good, love? Do you like that?"_

"_Oh yes, Edward, a little harder…ooooh, yes, just like that."_

"_Like this?"_

"_Ahhhh, yes, like that…"_

"_You feel so good, Bella."_

"_I love the feel of you inside me."_

"_Harder, darling?"_

"_Yes, oh Edward, harder, I love it."_

I reached between us and pressed my fingers into her cleft, searching for her bundle of nerves. Her voice let me know when I hit the right place."

"_Oh God, Edward, yes, right there, oh, don't stop…"_

"_Are we going to fast, love?"_

"_No, no, not too fast, no, don't ever stop, please."_

I swirled my fingers in circles around her clit as I started pounding into her in earnest. She arched her back and I felt her muscles clamp down, my shaft touched her g-spot and her mind screamed in ecstasy.

"_Edward, so good, so good, don't stop, I'm coming, Edward, I'm coming…"_

Her peak overwhelmed me as mine hit. I could feel both of our climaxes in my mind and it was staggering. Her mind was still shouting at me, as mine shouted back at her.

"_Bella, that's amazing, oh God, I can feel… Bella, I can feel you, oh oh oh, yes…"_

Once our orgasms had subsided and we both floated down from them, I asked silently, _"Are you alright, love?"_

She didn't answer. I looked over at her from my position flat on my back where I had tumbled to. She was gazing at me, smiling.

"You can't hear me anymore, can you?"

She shook her head. "I had to…erm.. close the connection. Both of our orgasms were almost too much for me to take silently, and I didn't want to disturb anyone, or anything."

"Close the connection?"

"I guess. I stopped concentrating on hearing you, and I couldn't hear you anymore."

"You have to concentrate on me to hear me? And to speak to me?"

She nodded slowly. I marveled at her. Her gift was something special indeed.

"We'll have to test this soon, Bella, to see if it is everyone, or just me."

"I think it's just you, Edward. I have tried to hear everyone else, and I can't."

I could not understand what her gift might be. Why would she only be able to hear and communicate with me? I determined that we would have to discuss this with Carlisle. Perhaps in his time with the Volturi he had seen something similar. Thinking of the Volturi made me wince mentally, but slowly I gained a perspective on them. If Bella were only able to communicate telepathically with me, the Volturi might not want her. It would make things infinitely easier if her gift was of no use to them. I held on to that thought as I turned my attention back to Bella and our surroundings. Once again, I looked at her naked body bathed in the light from the full moon, and felt love for her overwhelm me. I could never imagine a more perfect night.

**_End Notes: Well...Bella's gift is becoming clearer, but hasn't manifested itself completely yet. And for all of you who get bent out of shape when I leave you on a cliffy, this one was for you...don't get used to it! Edward and I are sipping our wine and awaiting the reviews!_**


	19. Chapter 19 Sandy

**_A/N Sorry for the long delay between updates. RL has been crazy, and I wanted this chapter to be perfect before I posted it because a lot of things are happening in it. I am already working on the next chapter, so hopefully it won't take quite as long this time! As always, thank you to my lovely Beta Lillie Cullen, whose stories have been nominated for the Eddie and Bellie awards. Please visit her stories (links on my profile) and read them (if you haven't already) and vote for her! (link on HER profile) Also, if you are over the age of 18 and would like to discuss this story, please visit me at my thread on Twilighted. go to www (dot) twilighted (dot) net Select "forums" and sign up if you haven't already (remember 18 and up!). Once you are signed up and on the forums, scroll down to the fanfic forums and find the one labeled "Alternate Universe - Bizarro Edward". Click on that one, and my thread is called...what else? Ascension! _**

**_You guys have been awesome with the reviews and I'm anxious for more. Edward and I will toast to you when you review, and send chocolate your way! Enjoy!_**

Disclaimer: Stephenie owns all things Twilight, but I still have Edward. She's going to have to pry him out of my cold, dead hands to get him back.

_**Bella**_

I was glad that my adjustment to vampire life was going so easily. It seemed to please Edward to no end that I was adjusting so well. Several weeks passed and I was getting better and better at hunting. Edward had even allowed me to go hunt alone with Esme, Rosalie, and Alice once. We had a wonderful girl's day out.

Edward and I had spent quite a bit of time exploring our connection to each other. I was unable, thus far, to connect with anyone else's mind, but had learned that I could initiate a connection with Edward at will. Edward and I had found that we could converse for hours without speaking, and it was wonderful. Edward was somewhat perplexed that he could not read my mind whenever he wanted to, but seemed to be accepting of the fact that I could form a connection between us. I rather enjoyed the privacy of being able to shut him off when I didn't want him in mine, and opening the connection when I wanted to be in his. I tried not to do it without letting Edward know, because he didn't care for me observing his thoughts without his knowledge.

Edward, Jasper, Alice, and I were working on Edward's requested additions to the house. Esme had finished the plans and Carlisle and Emmett had gone for the supplies. Emmett had occasionally had to break away from the remodel on Rose's garage to help us, but we seemed to be figuring out the plans.

We were practically building another house onto the front of the existing huge house. Edward had never had this much room to himself before and I had spoken with him, asking why he wanted so much room.

"I want us to have a sanctuary of our own, Bella. I want us to be able to come here, close the door, and get away from the rest of the family."

He was certainly accomplishing that. He had turned our bedroom into a large study with a desk on either side of the room, one for him, and one for me. The large closet and bathroom had been closed in on our side and had been renovated into a huge bathroom for Carlisle and Esme whose bedroom was on the other side.

There was a door on each side of the fireplace that opened into the rest of our living area. First was a bedroom with his and hers walk-in closets, complete with dressing areas, just like the chateau. Another stone fireplace sat between the two dressing rooms. We had broken two beds already, so our third bed sat in the room. It was very large, and very sturdy. I liked the bed made from oak trees that had been cut, barked, and polished to a high sheen. It had a high canopy that had netting draped around it. There had been two days that we had spent entirely within its web, worshipping each other's bodies in a languid fashion. Those were two of the best days I had ever had, human or vampire. There had been nothing animalistic about it. Sometimes, when Edward and I made love, it was more instinctual than anything, and I enjoyed those times immensely, but the languid love-making was perfect. We both particularly enjoyed when I opened the connection between our minds while we were making love. We could feel each other's desire and passions raging as though they were our own, and it heightened our pleasure without us having to say anything aloud. Emmett teased Edward relentlessly about not being able to pleasure his wife because we were so quiet. Edward would look at him and say, "You really don't know anything about pleasuring a woman do you, Emmett?" and then smile. We both knew that our pleasure had compounded exponentially over the last weeks. I had a sneaking suspicion that Edward still had not let go entirely. I was anxious for him to do so. Anxious, and curious.

Attached to our beautiful bedroom, was a bathroom that would make any woman jealous. Of course, in the event of any human visitors, there was a toilet enclosed in its own little cubby hole complete with a door and an exhaust fan. I chuckled when I looked at it. Edward had gone to great lengths to make sure it would pass for a human bathroom. I loved the rest of the bathroom though. There was a large mirror surrounded by lights in front of a rather impressive counter with two sinks. The sinks were stone, and the fixtures were gold. I had to cluck my tongue at Edward when he insisted on all gold fixtures in our bathroom, but he could not be swayed, so I relented. The bathroom was also complete with a very large Jacuzzi bathtub that was more than big enough for two people. It was also made of granite, which is a bit more difficult for vampires to break than other tub materials would be. At least, so far we had not broken it. The last feature of our bathroom was my favorite. It was a shower, but not just a shower. The walls and floor of the shower were granite and again, the fixtures were gold. There were showerheads everywhere. I could literally stand in one place in that shower, never moving, and get clean all over. The door was on the side of the shower, but it was only big enough for one person to walk through. The entire rest of the shower walls and ceiling were dotted with showerheads that were adjustable. I had a tendency to spend many hours in my wonderful shower. In fact, Edward had to install one of those fancy water heaters that had continuous hot water just for our bathroom. I loved it. The hot water never ran out. Edward even had to remind me one day that water was not necessarily a renewable resource. Ever since then, I felt guilty every time I turned the shower on, so I kept them a little shorter, unless I could convince Edward to join me. I reasoned that it wasn't such a waste of water if there were two of us in it.

Our study was one of my favorite rooms. Built-in bookcases lined the walls behind the desks. The bearskin from my first grizzly bear was on the floor in front of the fireplace. On the edge of the bearskin, there were two overstuffed chairs separated by a small table and lamp where Edward and I could sit and read. The portrait I had given him as a wedding gift hung over the mantel of the fireplace, and I often caught Edward staring at it as though he were deep in thought. That had actually been the catalyst behind Edward requesting that I not access his mind without his knowledge.

I had just walked in from watching "Some Like It Hot" with Alice and found Edward standing in front of the portrait. I only wanted a glimpse of what he was thinking, so I opened the connection, clearing my mind and concentrating on Edward. Oddly, he was thinking about his human life. He was thinking how much the photograph looked like I had travelled back in time to his era. He was longing for life to be as simple as it had been back then. I overreacted slightly and let my presence in Edward's mind be known by saying silently, _"Are you sorry that all of this happened and brought us together?"_

Edward whipped around to see where I was and said, "No, Bella. I'm not sorry. Why would you say that?"

The connection snapped closed, and I responded aloud, "You were wishing that life was simple, like it was when you were human. I would have thought that you were past all that by now. I thought that… I thought that I made you happy."

He had quickly crossed the distance between us and took my face in his hands. "You do make me happy, Bella. I was just thinking. I didn't realize anyone was… listening."

"I'm sorry, Edward. I've just seen you staring at that portrait several times and I wondered what you were thinking about when you were looking at it. I guess I had hoped that you were thinking about me."

"But I was, love. I was just… lamenting… "

He paused for a long moment, and I was almost sure that he was trying to think up a good lie to tell me. I was ready to annihilate him if he lied, but he didn't.

"Bella, that photograph of you is so beautiful. It looks like you traveled back in time, to when I was a human teenager, and I was wondering what life would have been like had I met someone as beautiful as you back then." Suddenly, he looked very sad. "I wish I could have met _you_ then, love, but I know that it was never meant to be that way. I would have either died of the flu, or Carlisle would have changed me anyway. Either way, I never would have had the opportunity to be with you."

I felt like a complete idiot for getting upset with him. My emotions were so volatile that I really needed to think about things before I got upset. I had splintered the door to our study into a million pieces one day when I slammed it because I was angry. What I was angry about, I couldn't say. I just felt angry. Jasper had been working with me to help me learn to control the emotions. He also regularly helped me out with his gift, which I appreciated.

I finally responded to Edward, "I'm sorry, Edward. I guess… I shouldn't have been eavesdropping. I suppose I only heard part of what you were thinking about, and let it upset me before I realized that I had not heard the whole story."

Edward had hugged me tight and whispered in my ear, "I know, love. I'm sorry too. Maybe… hmm… maybe, at least for now, you shouldn't, um, observe my mind without me knowing about it. It's tough to learn to judge what to think about people's thoughts when you are not used to hearing them all the time, and it might be better if you let me know when you are listening in. I don't…" He stopped himself, kissed me, and held me to him, my head on his chest. I didn't wait for long before I spoke.

"You don't what, Edward? You don't like having your mind read?" He shifted uncomfortably. "Edward?"

"It's just new for me, Bella."

"You've been doing it to other people for a long time. Do you routinely ask their permission?"

He looked abashed. "I don't, no, Bella, I don't ask for permission, because I can't help it that I hear them. You, on the other hand, have to do it consciously."

"Do you have anything to hide?"

"No, not from you, love."

"Then what difference does it make?"

Edward studied my face for a moment, thinking. I waited for his answer, wondering what was taking so long. The longer he took, the angrier I was. I resisted the urge to slip into his mind to see what was going on. Finally, he answered.

"I guess it doesn't make any difference, Bella. I will just have to… get used to it. I would still prefer that, at least for now, you let me know until we both get used to it. Please, Bella?"

How ironic that he doesn't like having his mind read. He had been doing it to everyone for nearly a century without their knowledge or consent. I nodded in agreement with him, but had to think about it for a long time afterwards to understand why he would not want _me_ in his mind without his knowledge. He had longed to read my mind from the moment he met me. I would have to discuss this with him again at another time, when I was less confused, but for the time being I decided to try to abide by his wishes. I wished that my emotions were not so erratic. I would be able to rationalize better if they were not, but I also knew that was a part of being a newborn vampire and that it would pass with time. I just had to be patient.

I had filled six journal books with memories of being human. Anytime something crossed my mind, I ran to write it down, not wanting to forget a second of my life. Sometimes Alice looked over my shoulder and reminded me of things. I was grateful that she reminded me to write down everything about our wedding and honeymoon. Writing about it made it feel like it happened in another life, but then again, it had.

I had been watching Edward carefully over the last weeks for signs that my renovation had changed his feelings for me, but his love seemed steadfast. He did seem to respect my decisions about things more than he ever had when I was human, but I knew that he had started down that path on our honeymoon.

Rosalie and Alice had taken me shopping online and helped me to find clothing that I liked rather than just choosing for me, which I appreciated. Alice had made only one rule, and that was that I could not have any baggy sweats. I begrudgingly agreed, but found that I really didn't miss them. Edward didn't seem to either. He particularly enjoyed the lingerie portion of our shopping. I found an outfit just like the white one I had worn on our last night in Paris but this time I ordered one in blue and one in pink. Last time I had donned one of those, he had nearly made a mess in his pants while standing on a ladder painting the ceiling of the next room in our sanctuary. He banned me from wearing things like that while he was working on the house after that. I was trying to comply with his wish, but it seemed that when I wasn't thirsty, writing in my journal, studying, or emailing my parents, all I wanted to do was seduce my lovely husband.

My first attempt at using the laptop Emmett had purchased for me had turned into a disaster. I crushed the keyboard with my strong hands. When I became upset that I had ruined it, I closed the lid, and smashed the screen. Fortunately, Alice had seen this coming, and had two more on standby for me hidden in her room. I walked into my study an hour later to find a brand new laptop on the desk with a note from Alice saying, "I knew there would be some typing mistakes, so I bought it just in case."

With our addition to the house nearly complete, and Rosalie's garage already finished, we all found that we were going to have a lot of time on our hands. Alice and Jasper had added on to their part of the house as well, but as their addition was above ours, they had added on when we did so the whole project was nearly finished.

There was talk amongst the family about an outing when all the additions and renovations were complete, but I had not been near any humans since the day of the delivery truck. Nobody wanted to risk it, especially me. I wanted the rest of the family to have a good outing, but knew that they would not leave me at home alone. I felt sad that someone would have to stay with me, but I had hinted to Edward that I wanted him to go. He told me he would think about it. I wanted to find a way to insist. He deserved to get out for a bit. He was being so wonderful to me, always helping me and teaching me. He had hardly left my side for even a minute. I felt that he deserved a break.

Carlisle was working at the local hospital and enjoying the change in scenery from Forks. He was seeing new patients and facing new challenges. He truly seemed to like it. I was pleased that Carlisle had not had to give up his lifestyle for me, though I cringed at what everyone had given up for me.

Edward was just putting the final touches on the last room and then all that was left was to figure out how to get his baby-grand piano in there. I had mentioned that the piano should be placed in the room before the walls were all completed, but no one listened to me. Once the walls were all up, Alice pointed out that Edward and Jasper should have listened to me. They both stared at us with incredulity. It wasn't a pretty day when one of the walls had to come down so the piano could be placed inside. Jasper and Edward had stood around grumbling while they let Emmett carry the piano in, and then went back to work putting the wall back up. Emmett had teased them both ceaselessly about it, which didn't help. Alice and I quietly bowed out and went to the computer to further research the pictures I had saved from the locket I bought Edward.

As near as Alice could tell, the pictures, and the locket were circa 1880's to 1920's. She had sent a letter to the antique storeowner that we got it from, asking if he had any further information about it. We were still waiting for the reply. We had scanned the pictures into the computer and were searching all over for pictures that matched, but without the info from the storeowner, we were stuck. When the wall was put back up, we went to check out the room.

Jasper and Edward were standing around admiring their handiwork when we entered. The room was truly beautiful. One wall had another stone fireplace, which was glaringly lacking a bearskin in front of it. I decided that I would have to remedy that since Edward didn't care much for bears. He said their blood tasted "greasy" to him. I didn't mind them. At least the one I had didn't seem bad to me. I just couldn't figure that one out, but resigned myself to mostly deer, elk, and moose when Edward and I were hunting. They weren't so bad, and were quite abundant.

I looked around the rest of the room and took it in. The other two outside walls were lined with large windows that looked out onto the mountains on one side. The house was situated on a sound, so on the other side, the windows looked out over the water. Near the wall on the mountain side of the house, sat Edward's piano. He had built a stage of sorts for the piano to set on so it sat higher than the rest of the room. Across the room was a pit group with lots of fluffy pillows for me to lose myself in while listening to Edward play, which was exactly what I did as soon as he started playing my lullaby. I hadn't heard him actually play it in so long, and with my new improved hearing, it was even more beautiful than I had remembered. I had the delicious feeling of being home.

I didn't have any idea how long Edward played. I laid amongst all the fluffy pillows with my eyes closed listening for what seemed like hours. He was amazing on the keyboard. His fingers were so light running over the keys, but he commanded them to do his bidding. It was heaven. I listened to an endless parade of Edward's own compositions mixed in with Chopin, Rachmaninov, Beethoven, Mozart, Debussy, and Brahms. I sat up and watched while he played "The Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven. The way his fingers danced across the keys was so mesmerizing… and sexy. I moved closer to sit on the floor next to him, watching his every move. He finished the Sonata, and moved on to "The Raindrop Prelude" by Chopin. It was definitely one of my favorite pieces of music. It reminded me of a thunderstorm. I watched as Edward made the piano sound like rain that was getting harder and harder, and then the thunder started. His eyes were closed as he hit each key with perfection. I stood up and moved in behind him. I watched the muscles in his arms twitch as he moved his hands up and down the keyboard. I couldn't resist, I wrapped my arms around him, laid my head on his shoulder, and sighed. He never missed a note.

When the rain, in the music, died back down to a light spring rain, I sighed again. As soon as the last note had finished resonating, Edward turned around, grabbed me, and we flew across the room, slamming into the piles of pillows on the couch. Part of the couch flipped over and sent us onto the floor. It didn't matter. We were already tearing each other's clothes off, our lips and tongues entwined in a lover's kiss.

Edward was grunting and growling like I had never heard him before. His hands were everywhere, touching me at vampire speed, and with vampire strength. I threw my arms over my head, and delighted in his worship of my body, arching my back towards him. One hand slid down my back, over my bottom, and stopped, squeezing my cheek. Guttural sounds that I didn't even know I could make were departing from my lips, and they seemed to come from my chest. I concentrated on feeling every single touch from Edward, and opened my connection to his mind.

At first, when I opened the connection, I was stunned. I didn't hear his mind saying words, I heard roaring, as if from a tiger or lion. I didn't know what to make of it. His hands, lips, and teeth were devouring my body from my lips to my thighs. My eyes fluttered open, and when Edward looked up at me, his eyes were black as pitch and his teeth were bared. He looked like he did when he was hunting. I was instantly on fire. This was not Edward and Bella making love, this was Edward giving over to his instincts and taking Bella. His lips curled and he snarled as he slammed his shaft into me. I shredded the carpet trying to hang on and not go sailing across the room. At the same time, I growled loudly, and thrust my pelvis towards him.

Edward slammed into me again, and this time he bit down on my shoulder. Hard. I screamed, but not in pain. It stung, but the combination of his fierce thrusting and the bite were almost enough to send me over the edge. My arms flew around him, as did my legs. I held tight to him as he rammed into me again and again. Suddenly, he hopped up, holding on to me, and jumped across the room, crashing us into the stone wall next to the fireplace. My fingernails dug into his back as he shoved me against the wall and continued to pound his rod into my burning core. We were as two tigers fighting, snarling, growling, teeth bared, and claws scratching. My body was strung tight and my ecstasy was overwhelming me. I could still hear his snarls in my head along with the growls and snarls that I was hearing with my ears.

The precipice was upon me, and I knew that Edward would not last much longer either. I closed my eyes and half-groaned, half-screamed as wave after wave of my orgasm washed over me, tumbling me into a sea of euphoria. I sensed Edward's body tighten and heard the growl that emitted from deep inside his chest as he released within me while I was still riding the waves of my peak.

I was still wrapped tightly around him with my eyes closed, enjoying the high from our escapade, when I heard the applause. I heard Edward's inner voice say, "What the fuck?" as his head shot up and looked over his shoulder. I was afraid to open my eyes, but I had to know how many of them were standing in the door watching us.

I lost the connection with Edward just as my eyes blinked open to see our entire family standing with their mouths open in the doorway of the room. Emmett, of course, was clapping and hooting as though he were at a football game.

"Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout, Eddie!"

"Get. The. Fuck. Out. Emmett. My. Wife. Is. Naked."

Rosalie was trying to pull him backwards out the door, while Alice, Esme, and Carlisle all disappeared rather quickly. Jasper, meanwhile, did not say anything, but stood perfectly still, staring at us.

"Seriously, Edward. That was awesome, dude. I wish I had that one on film. I would send it in to the Adult Video News, man! You would totally win one of those 'Oscars of Porn' with it!"

Edward looked at me and mouthed, "I'm sorry."

I just shook my head in disbelief. Emmett and Jasper were still standing there, staring. Rosalie had now grabbed both of them trying to pry them from their spot.

"Emmett, if you don't come with me right now, I swear!"

"You swear what, baby? That you'll give me a scene just like that one," he gestured towards us, "later on tonight?"

"Emmett!"

"What? It's a natural thing, Rose. Everybody does it. I was starting to doubt that Eddie did until now, but hey, I'm proud of my brother. He got his game on!" Emmett thrust his hips back and forth a couple of times for effect. I couldn't watch any more. I buried my head in Edward's shoulder. He was still completely sheathed inside of me and was shaking with anger.

Through his teeth, Edward said, "Emmett, get the fuck out now, and you too Jasper, or I swear on everything that is holy I will shred you both up so much you'll think you've been in a blender."

I felt Jasper's calm wash over me and peeked over Edward's shoulder just as Jasper said, "Edward, man, I'm sorry, we thought… "

"I don't give a damn what you thought, Jasper! Get. Out."

Jasper exited quickly whispering, "I'm sorry, Bella, Edward."

Emmett, not to be deterred, was still standing firm, laughing at Rosalie's attempts to move him. Edward was seething. I glanced over at him, and he was staring at a spot on the wall. He was holding me tightly. Had I been human, he would have completely crushed my chest. I whispered, "Edward, just let it go. Don't say anything and maybe he will leave."

His eyes met mine briefly and he said quietly, "Isabella, I am _not _going to let it go. He stood there and watched the whole damn thing like a peeping tom. I will not have him ogling you like that!"

"Dude? Is that what you think? That I was _ogling_ your wife? She is my sister, man. That's not even _right._ Not cool, Edward. I was simply amazed at what an… animal you are. I had no idea. I thought maybe I could learn some moves, you know?"

Rosalie gave up and stormed out yelling, "I'm sorry, Edward and Bella, that my husband is such an _asshole!_"

Emmett crossed his arms and stared across the room at us. I wondered what he was waiting for. He looked as though he were ready for a fight, but I didn't think that Edward was really going to fight him. Not at the expense of leaving me completely exposed, anyway.

I looked back at Edward, who had gone back to staring at the same spot on the wall. I, once again, buried my head in his shoulder.

"Emmett, would you please step out of my area of the house so that I can get my wife properly dressed, and then we can _discuss_ this?"

"What? You're going to _attempt _to kick my ass because the two of you sounded like two grizzly bears killing each other in here? You've read every one of our minds, _Edward. _You know damn good and well that the only reason any of us came down here was because we thought you two were fighting. You never make so much as a peep when you have sex, and then all of a sudden, the piano music stops, and all we hear is growling, screaming, and roaring. I can't help if I enjoyed what I saw when I got here. I _am _a man, after all. Jesus Christ, Edward. Get a grip."

With that, I heard Emmett's heavy footsteps retreating and sighed a breath of relief. I raised my head back up to look at Edward again. He was furious. Actually, he was beyond furious. He was completely enraged.

Carefully, he removed himself from me and stood me on the floor. He looked into my eyes and said, "Isabella? Are you alright?"

"Of course, Edward, I'm fine."

"I wasn't asking if you were hurt, Bella."

"I know, and I'm fine, Edward. It's bound to happen in a house full of vampires."

Edward shook his head at me and rolled his eyes. "Bella, I have been living with these same vampires for decades. I have never once walked in and watched them have sex with their mates. In fact, I have been very careful to get out of range of my 'gift' or to block them any time I knew they _were _having sex with their mates. I have been as much of a gentleman as I could be when it came to that and after all these years, you would think that they would have the decency and respect to return the favor."

I put my hand on his cheek and kissed his other cheek. I didn't know what to say to help him to let it go. It wasn't worth having a family feud over. So we had loud, rough sex and the rest of the family was curious, so what? Finally, I looked into Edward's eyes and said, "I want you to promise me that you will let me take care of this, Edward. I don't want you fighting with your brothers."

Edward stepped back. "What? You want me to let _you_ take care of this? What are you going to do? Pat them on the head, tell them 'It's okay' and send them to their rooms?"

"Edward Cullen! Do _not_, I repeat, _do not, _take it out on me because you are angry with your brothers. Did you read their minds? Was Emmett telling the truth?"

He looked away from me, out the window.

"Well? Was he?"

"Yes."

"Then the only thing that you have to be angry about is that Emmett teased us and challenged you." I giggled internally at my plan. "Paybacks are hell, Edward, and that is what Emmett is going to get, payback, and it is going to come from where he least expects it, me, not you."

Edward looked back at me, staring incredulously. "What do you mean, Bella?"

"Don't worry about it. Just promise me you will not fight with your brothers."

"You don't expect me to not say anything, do you?"

"As long as you can keep a civil tongue, you can say whatever you want, but I don't want you fighting. As far as they are concerned, we have both forgiven them all, but when he least expects it, I'm taking revenge on Emmett, but good."

"Why are you so determined about this?"

"Because I am not the same Bella that stood around and blushed every time Emmett teased me about something anymore. I am Isabella Cullen, Vampire, and I'm a newborn vampire at that. If I have to live with him for the rest of eternity, I'm not going to have him using me as the butt of all his jokes forever. I'm just going to teach him a little lesson is all, but it will have far more effect coming from me than from you." Anger was rising in me, and I wasn't really sure where it was coming from. I wasn't particularly angry with Edward, and I wasn't particularly angry at anyone else.

Edward knew he was beaten. He couldn't deny that I was right. If he forced the issue, Emmett would just think it was a game. Emmett had been very good to Edward and to me in many ways, but this was just not an easily forgivable sin. I knew I could get him back, and I knew how to get him back, all I needed was the right time.

"Okay, Bella. But if it doesn't work out, I'm ripping off his arms and throwing them into the ocean, and I don't care how long it takes him to find them."

I giggled at the thought of Emmett swimming for miles, without arms, trying to find his ripped off and discarded limbs. I immediately opened my connection with Edward and showed him what I was thinking of. He started laughing too. _"That's something I would almost pay to see, Bella."_

I smiled at him, and made my way towards the bathroom. "Care for a shower, Edward? It's such a waste of water for only one person to be in there." He beat me to the bathroom and had the water on for me when I stepped inside.

The next morning was to be the family outing. Edward was steadfast in his resolve that he was not going, and I was equally steadfast in my resolve that he was. Esme had very generously offered to stay at home with me while everyone else went into town to do some shopping. She had a project she was working on for a house in Anchorage that she was going to remodel and wanted to get some work done on that.

I pleaded with Edward to go. His answer was stubbornly the same, for hours.

"No, Bella. I don't need to do any shopping, and I really don't want to spend the day with my brothers today. I'm still angry with them. I would rather just stay here with you, love."

After the eighth time he told me that, I threw my hands up and stalked out of our living room, where Edward was measuring how much carpet he would need to replace what I had shredded. I wandered the house until I found Alice and Rosalie. Neither of them said anything when I walked into Alice's bedroom and flopped on the bed. I saw them glance at each other.

"I'm not mad," I said to ease their tension. "Okay, I'm a little upset with Emmett for being so confrontational and not leaving right away, but I'm okay with it." I shrugged my shoulders and finished, "I suppose if I had heard any of you all making noise like that, I would have done exactly the same thing. Like I told Edward, it's to be expected in a house full of vampires."

They both sighed and came to sit on either side of me on the bed. Alice said, "I'm so sorry, Bella. The vision of what was happening didn't hit me until it was too late. It was apparently a split second decision on Edward's part to, um, well, it wasn't planned."  
"Really Alice, it's okay. You can't prevent every embarrassing thing from happening to me forever. Besides, I think Edward was far more embarrassed and upset than I was."

Alice nodded and glanced at Rosalie when she said, "Yes, he is angry. I have been about to go crazy with all the things he has thought up to do to Emmett and Jasper. He keeps changing his mind."

I sat up and looked at her. "He is still planning on doing something?"

Alice nodded and exchanged a glance with Rosalie again.

Rosalie took my hand and looked into my eyes. "Bella, I am truly sorry. I wish there was something I could do to make this up to you. I know that must have been incredibly humiliating to you, and I'm sorry that Emmett made such a big deal about it. I'm not sure that he understands how horrible that was for you." She glanced at Alice and said, "We have all walked in on each other at one time or another. It's the nature of married couples all sharing the same home. We are all kind of used to the whole thing, but I know that you aren't, and I wanted you to know how sorry I am that we embarrassed you."

Rose looked like she could cry and I felt badly for her. I reached for her immediately and hugged her tight. "It's okay, Rose. Thank you for apologizing, but really, I'll get over it. This is only the beginning, right?" I giggled nervously and Rose nodded her head.

I turned my attention back to Alice and said, "So, what is my husband planning?"

Alice got up and crossed the room to her vanity table. She stood there for a minute, fiddling with her perfume bottles. "Alice?" I said.

She turned to look at me and I could see that she looked like she was going to cry too. "He wants to move away from the family," she whispered so quietly that even I barely heard.

I stood up and yelled, "What?"

Alice quickly crossed back to me and whispered, "Shhhh, Bella. I don't want Edward to hear us."

I nodded. "Are you blocking him?"

Alice and Rose both nodded vigorously. I rolled my eyes and sat back down on the bed, trying to get my wits about me.

"What are you thinking, Bella?" Rose whispered.

"I don't know yet, give me a minute."

They both looked at me curiously as I closed my eyes, and opened my link to Edward. I had never done it from another part of the house before, and didn't know if I could, but before I had time to think about it, Edward's thoughts flooded my mind. I concentrated on keeping my mind clear so he would not know I was listening to him.

His mind was racing. I had to try to sort out what he was thinking about without him realizing that I was listening. I had not practiced blocking Edward and knew that he would know right away that I was listening and blocking. I caught several threads of thought and quickly released the connection. I opened my eyes wide and looked at Alice. "He's planning on taking me to the chateau and us staying there. He is trying to figure out how to get us there without any human interactions. He is thinking about buying a plane?"

Alice nodded sadly. "That's what I saw in my vision, Bella. I don't know what to do."

Suddenly I was furious. "I am _not_ leaving," I said as I stormed out of Alice's room. I heard Rosalie and Alice following me and I stomped down the stairs and into our study. I was consumed with anger as I picked up speed before arriving a second later in our living room, glaring at Edward. I was shaking with fury.

"Where did she go?" Alice shouted, panicking. I didn't know what she was talking about. I looked at her, and she was looking right at me.

Edward turned from where he was patching the stone wall near the fireplace and said, "Who?"

"Bella! She just came storming down here and she… she…" Alice was looking around the room wildly.

"She _what, _Alice? I hope you are keeping your visions to yourself!"

"I am _right _here!" I shouted.

Edward and Alice both looked shocked. They were looking at me as though they were looking right through me.

I was glaring right at Edward. He looked over at Alice and back to the general area I was standing in. "Edward, I am _not_ moving to France. You don't need to be angry with Alice because I found out on my own. I have _ways_ now, you know. I thought you were no longer going to make decisions for me for 'my own good'," I said, raising my hands to make quotation marks in the air, except that my hands weren't there. Neither were my arms. I panicked and looked down. None of me was there. Where I should have been standing, it looked like there was nothing.

"Edward? What?"

Edward crossed the room to me with his hands in front of him. I grabbed his arm when he got close enough and he gasped. "Bella? What's going on, Bella? What did you do?"

"I don't know, Edward!" My voice was shrill with fear. I looked at where my hand should be touching Edward's arm and… _Oh my God! Edward's hand just disappeared! _I snatched my hand back, and Edward's hand reappeared. I looked wildly around at Edward, Alice, and Rosalie, hoping none of them had seen Edward's hand suddenly disappear, then reappear. _What is happening to me?!?_

"What's going on? Where's Bella?" I heard Rosalie ask.

Alice stammered, "I don't know, she just… well… she disappeared, but… she seems to be right there." Alice was pointing to where I should have been standing.

Edward's face was panicked. I had to admit, I was panicking too. "Edward? What's happening? I'm scared!" I whispered.

"Bella, I don't… I don't know." His eyes were wild. He kept reaching for me, but I kept stepping back, afraid of what I might do to him if I touched him again.

Alice and Rosalie were crossing the distance between us quickly, when just as suddenly as it had happened, it was over. I stared at my outstretched hand as though it were a foreign object. I looked down and I was all there again. Edward threw his arms around me and pulled me to him.

"Oh, Bella, I was so scared," he said, shaking while he held me tight.

Alice and Rosalie were standing on either side of us, staring at me, disbelief in their eyes. There was knocking on the doorjamb and I heard Emmett's voice quietly say, "Can I come in?"

Edward stiffened and growled. I released him and pushed him back from me. "Yes, Emmett, you can come in," I said, glaring at Edward.

Emmett walked in and studied the four of us standing there in a circle for a moment before he said, "Is everything okay down here? I heard Rosalie shrieking." I was sure that he mentioned that he heard Rosalie so that he would not be in trouble with Edward for intruding again.

Edward stood, staring at me, not speaking. I continued to glare at him. Rosalie had her back to Emmett, and simply crossed her arms in front of her chest and didn't say anything. Alice sighed, exasperated, and said, "Yeah, Emmett. I think everything is okay. I think maybe Bella just discovered that she has another ability besides being able to connect to Edward's mind."

Emmett tentatively came closer. "Really? What is it?"

I shook my head at Alice almost imperceptibly and she nodded in understanding, trying to stifle the smile that was about to cross her lips. "We're, um, not really sure yet, Emmett. We'll keep you posted."

Emmett stared at each one of us, incensed that no one was talking. Finally he said, "Well, okay then, I guess it is none of my business anyway." We all stood silently for a long moment, and then he continued. "Look, since I'm here anyway, um, Bella, Edward, I just wanted to apologize for… well… I wanted to apologize. I was just kind of… I don't know… I've been a little bored I guess. I promise not to ever be that disrespectful to either one of you again. I really hope that you will both forgive me. I don't want… it to be awkward… for all of us to be here. And Rosalie, I owe you an apology too, baby. I behaved terribly and I'm really sorry… I… I love you… and I don't want you to be mad at me."

By the time Emmett had finished speaking, we were all looking at him. Rosalie stepped over to him and hugged him. She looked up at him, with love in her eyes, and said, "I forgive you, Emmett, because I love you so much, but please, take it easy on Edward and Bella, okay?" Her eyes shifted back, towards me, and she continued, "I wouldn't want anything to tear our family apart, now that it is so… complete."

I looked over at Edward, whose face softened ever so slightly. I contemplated my plan for revenge on Emmett, and decided that I was still going to teach him a lesson, particularly if I could figure out how I went invisible a few minutes ago, but I was going to take it easier on him that I had originally planned. "I forgive you, Emmett. Mostly," I said, and smiled.

A brief smile crossed Emmett's face as he looked over at Edward, and then sadness crept into his eyes. "Edward, man, I really am sorry. I don't want… there to be anything between us. You and Jasper are the only brothers I've got."

Edward looked like he was made of stone, not moving, not twitching, not breathing. His face was softer, but his demeanor was still angry. I reached out and took his hand hesitantly. I whispered, "Edward, please."

His eyes shifted towards me just slightly, then back to Emmett. His mouth opened, and his fingers convulsed around my hand. "I can not forgive you, not completely anyway, right now, Emmett. I will try, however, not to hold it against you for very long. I can understand why you all felt it necessary to come down here, Bella being a newborn and all, and I appreciate that. I just would think that once you saw what was really happening, you would have just left and not said anything."

I could see that Emmett was suppressing a sigh of relief because his shoulders immediately relaxed at Edward's words. He stepped over to Edward and put his hand out for Edward to shake. "I respect that, Edward. Thank you." Edward shook his hand, but still had a death grip on mine.

Carlisle popped his head in the door and said, "Is everything alright in here? It seems every time I go looking for my family these days, they are all down here for some reason or another. Sorry about earlier, Edward, Bella," he said, crossing the floor to embrace first me, and then Edward. He directed his next statement at me. "It is a new experience living in a household of vampires, Bella. I guess I would have to say that you are finally experiencing us all for what we really are, and I hope you are not sorry that you joined us."

I shook my head vigorously. "Oh, no, Carlisle. I completely understand that things are going to be a little… different… now. I don't want you all to act any differently than you ever would have just because I'm… really one of you now."

While I appreciated all of the sentiment and apologies, I was really wishing that everyone would leave so that Edward and I could finish our discussion, and see if we could figure out what had happened with me. I was also more determined than ever that he was going to town with the family today. I was going to insist, and if that didn't work, I was going to threaten him with the only thing I could think of that might make an impact. I winced mentally when I thought about denying Edward sex, because by denying him, I would be denying myself. I also knew that denying him sex was an underhanded thing for me to do, but at the same time, the new aggressive Bella reasoned that it was a necessary evil if I was going to get him out of the house for what I had planned for him upon his return.

Carlisle embraced me again, then turned to everyone else and said, "I think we should leave in about an hour for town." He looked at me and said, "I'm so sorry that you can't go, Bella."

"I don't want to," I responded truthfully, "but I really would like it if Edward went. He needs to get out."

"I agree," Carlisle said, nodding. "Edward, I would like you to go, too. Esme is going to be here whether you go or not. She is in her study engrossed in architectural plans and doesn't want to leave. She can keep an ear out for Bella if she needs anything, and I think maybe Bella would like a little time to herself, too."

I smiled inwardly. This was Carlisle's way of telling Edward he needed to go and leave me alone for awhile without sounding overbearing. Carlisle, as a dad, was the cat's meow.

"I'll think about it," Edward said tersely. I rolled my eyes. Emmett chuckled quietly at my gesture. I smiled at him and released Edward's hand. I walked over and started fluffing pillows in the pit group. Fortunately, we had not broken any of that furniture, just turned it over. I silently wished for a vampire furniture maker that specialized in unbreakable furniture for vampires. Maybe that was how I would contribute my first million to the Cullen family coffers.

Alice came to stand next to me and took my hands, looking into my eyes. "Bella, do you have any idea what happened?"

My eyes widened and I glanced over to see that Emmett, Rosalie, and Carlisle were all turning to leave. I shook my head and said, softly, "No, Alice. All I know is that I was… very angry… and then I was just… gone. I didn't feel any differently. I didn't even know what had happened until I put my hands in the air and I couldn't see them."

Alice looked perplexed. She shook her head and said, "I'm sorry I didn't see this coming, Bella. Perhaps I could have prepared you for it, but…. Ohhhh."

Alice looked like she had an epiphany of some sort, and then her face went into that blank stare that she gets when she has a vision. I held onto her arms to support her. I was aware that she sometimes fell if the vision was too overpowering, but I had never actually seen it happen. Edward walked over immediately and put his hand on Alice's back, looking concerned.

Edward was staring at Alice, his face contorted in concentration. I immediately opened my connection to Edward and said, _"What is it, Edward?"_ I didn't have to wait for any kind of response. I could see Alice's vision in Edward's head, just like he was seeing it in Alice's. It wasn't good.

There were Volturi everywhere, and lots of fighting. Alice was standing in the middle of the field of battle screaming, _"Bella, Bella, don't do this! Bella!" _I appeared a few feet from her, snarling and growling. I started running towards a group that was fighting, and then disappeared again. Alice's vision ended. She was shaking and panting.

Edward and I helped her to sit down. A million questions were running through both Edward's and my minds. Edward asked first.

"Do you know when it might happen, Alice?"

Her silent response was a resounding, _"No."_ Edward and I exchanged glances and thoughts.

"Is this… the first vision you have had about… the Volturi coming?" I asked Alice softly.

She nodded.

"Well," I said, trying to sound optimistic, "then maybe it was just a vision prompted by my… uh… disappearance earlier, and no decisions have been made. Let's not worry about it unless there are more, okay?"

Alice nodded again. I hugged her tight and she hugged me back. Jasper appeared at my side, having run in the room. "What happened? Alice, are you okay?" he asked her, lifting her off the couch into his arms. I felt his calm wave slam into me, and I was completely serene. We all must have been emitting a lot of fear for Jasper to come running like that. He had been out in the garage tinkering with a motorcycle that he had purchased. Even my intense anger from earlier had not sent him tearing into the house, so I knew the fear must have been great. Of course, it was three of us seeing the vision, and when I was angry, it was only me.

Alice quietly told Jasper, "I had a vision, about the Volturi, and Edward and Bella both saw it, but we don't think," she glanced at me, "that it is anything to worry about, for now at least."

Jasper hugged her to his body, and kissed her tenderly, whispering, "I'm sorry, darlin', I really am. Is there something I can get for you or do for you?"

Alice nodded, perking up a bit, and said, "Yes Jasper, let's get everyone together and go to town. I need to go shopping." She giggled and then looked over at me, "Oh, I'm sorry, Bella, I just…"

I interrupted her saying, "It's okay, Alice. You know how much I hate shopping anyway." I looked at Edward and back to Alice and said, "Besides, I am looking forward to a little 'alone' time."

Edward grumbled, but he relented and went. I had to have him out of the house. I had plans for him later. I went to the study and sat down at my desk. I opened my laptop, turned it on, and stared at the screen while it booted. Once it was up, I opened the document entitled "Bella's Diary" and started typing. I put in all the details of my 'disappearance' earlier in the day. I also put in everything about Alice's vision. I wasn't sure what to make of it.

Sometimes, sadly, Alice's visions just weren't accurate. I hoped this was one of those times. The pyre I had seen in her vision had unnerved me quite a bit, though I had not mentioned it to anyone. Edward was so absorbed in the vision, I wasn't sure that he had caught on to my worrying about it. What bothered me was that there could only be one reason for it, and that was that a vampire had been killed. Maybe more than one. It was quite a large battle. I pondered this briefly and decided that I had time to worry about it later. I had to get busy.

I went to my closet to find the outfit I had ordered for this particular occasion, and pulled it out. I turned it over in my hands for a moment, disbelieving that I had ordered it, and what my intentions were while wearing it. I smiled to myself. If this worked the way I wanted it to, it would leave Edward in a quivering puddle of subservience on the floor. I couldn't wait.

I went into the bathroom and started getting ready. After my shower, which I kept short, I worked on my hair. I dried it and made it big. I teased it and curled it until it looked like Olivia Newton-John's hair in the last scene from "Grease." I hummed while I worked, feeling rather saucy. After my hair was as perfect as I would ever get it without Alice or Rosalie helping me, I started on my makeup. Normally I didn't wear much, but this was different. I was trying to make a point, so I went heavy with it. I heard Esme's footsteps approach.

"Bella, are you alright? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Esme, fine. I'm in the bathroom. Come on in." I looked down to make sure that my short robe was closed in front, though after the scene yesterday, I wasn't sure that it mattered anymore if I was dressed in front of any of the Cullens. I was pretty sure they had all seen all of me there was to see, and then some. I shrugged to myself and decided that a little decorum and decency on my part would be a good example for certain members of the family who didn't seem to have any at times. Emmett to be exact.

Esme entered the bathroom and gasped. "Good grief, Bella! What are you up to?" she asked with a smirk.

I smiled warmly at her, trying to remember why I had invited my mother-in-law in to the bathroom in the first place. "Oh, I just have a little surprise planned for Edward when he gets back," I said giggling.

Esme looked at my hair and my face and said, "It looks like it is going to be fun… for Edward." She giggled. _Esme is giggling? Oh! I like that!_

"I certainly hope it is _fun_ for Edward, and he doesn't think that I have lost my mind."

Esme covered her mouth to stifle the giggle that erupted. _I really like the sound of Esme giggling!_ Once she had that under control, she smiled and said, "It's nice to have newlyweds around again. It's… well, it's good for all of us."

This was one of those moments when, had I been human, I would have blushed furiously. I had become accustomed to talking about sex with Alice and Rosalie over the past few weeks. They were rather open about it and had even been kind enough to give me a few pointers. But, Esme was different. She was the matriarch of the family. I had never discussed anything like this with her. I did know, however, that she and Carlisle were very much in love, and were still quite active. It's a hard thing to hide in a house full of vampires, as I had found out the hard way. When, even with soundproofing in all the walls, ceilings, and floors of the house, everyone could hear everything that went on in the entire house, it was rather difficult to hide anything. I supposed I would get used to that someday.

Esme stood watching me for a few minutes, and offered to help with a few strands of hair that had fallen. I thanked her, and she excused herself back to her office. "If you need something, Bella, please don't be afraid to interrupt me. I'm not doing anything that I can't stop if you need me."

"Thanks, Esme. I don't want to be a bother."

She came and stood in front of me. "You are not a bother, Bella. Ever. I just don't want you to feel like I am neglecting you by hiding out in my office, but at the same time, I don't want you to feel like I am your babysitter either. I am simply here in case something happens that is unforeseen."

I hugged her. I couldn't help it. Esme always had the right words to say to make me feel better, and to make me feel loved like a proper mother loves her daughter. I never had to take care of Esme, or help her make decisions, or steer her away from a path of destruction, because she had it all together. I appreciated her so much. More than I would ever be able to show her, I was sure. Then again, I had a lot of time in the future to show my appreciation.

"Thank you, Esme. I love you."

"I love you, too, Bella. I'm so proud of you. You are doing beautifully, and I just wanted you to know that you can come to me for anything, anytime, anywhere."

I smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek, giggling that I had left a deep red lip print on her skin from my lipstick. I grabbed a tissue and rubbed it off quickly, apologizing profusely.

When Esme left, I decided it was time to get dressed. I wasn't sure what time everyone was going to be back, but I wanted to be ready when they were. I donned the black lace thong, and put on the tight black leather mini-skirt. I looked down at my sleek legs poking out from under the skirt, thankful that I didn't have to lotion or shave them anymore. I put on the thin black lace bra that matched my thong, and then put the tiny black see-through camisole on, that left very little to the imagination. The mini-skirt rode low on my hips, and the camisole was short, so I had a lot of skin showing. Just the tops of my bra peeked out over the top of the camisole and my cleavage was showing. I looked in the mirror, and giggled. I looked pretty hot, if I said so myself.

I went back to the closet and pulled out the shoes I had chosen for this particular outfit. I couldn't believe that I had knowingly, and willingly, chosen a pair of stiletto heels, but here I was, putting the black shiny shoes on. I found that I had no difficulty walking in them, which was a relief. Being a vampire did have its advantages, like not being such a klutz anymore.

I headed into our living room and started to prepare. I popped the karaoke CD that I had ordered into the CD player. I rearranged the furniture just slightly, so that I would have room, and I placed the multi-colored disco ball light on top of the mantel.

I heard Emmett's Escalade coming up the road, with the distinct thump of the bass blasting across the wilderness. I giggled and rolled my eyes. Emmett could be such a kid sometimes.

Fortunately, it was dark outside. I quickly doused all the lights in our area of the house and stood in the dark, waiting for Edward to come looking for me. I thought about how I had disappeared from view earlier, and almost wished I could figure out how to do it now, but it had kind of scared me, so I decided that was something I would explore with Edward knowing where I was when I did it.

I heard the laughter and shouts of the family as they were entering the house, and I quickly opened my mind connection with Edward and said, _"Did you have a good time?"_

"_Yes, but I missed you, love. Where are you?"_

"_You'll see me soon enough."_

"_But, Bella! I have a present for you!"_

"_You didn't have to get me anything, Edward."_

"_I know, but I wanted to."_

"_Alright, I won't argue about it, okay?"_

"_Good, it makes me happy to hear you say that."_

"_See you soon."_

I smiled and cut him off immediately. This was getting easier all the time. I was proud of how good I was getting at it. I waited silently in the dark for the love of my life to appear. When he finally entered the room, tentatively calling my name, confused by the darkness, I hit the remote and started the CD. I reached out with my other hand, and turned on the disco ball, and proceeded to give Edward, what I hoped, was the shock of his life. I was ready to prove to him that it didn't matter to me what the rest of the family thought about our 'activities' because I wasn't leaving them. Not after everything they had done for me.

**_End Notes: Next chapter will be in Edward's POV for all of you who love that! Also, for those of you who wondered if I was going to let Edward "let go completely", there you have it. Remember, chocolate and a toast for all those who review! Thank you all for reading and reviewing!_**


	20. Chapter 20 Keeps Gettin' Better

**_A/N Thank you all for being so patient for this update. There is a lot in the upcoming chapters, and I want to make sure that I address everything, so I have been very careful while writing this one. Once again, many thanks to Mistress Lillie Cullen, who I am proud to say is my beta, but mostly I'm proud she is my friend. _**

_Disclaimer: While I don't own Twilight, or any of the characters, I am quite pleased that Edward has asked me if he can stay with me permanently. I won't own him, but possession is 9/10ths of the law, so they say... I also don't own any Christina Aguilera songs. I hope she doesn't mind my borrowing her lyrics and using them in the manner in which they are used below..._

_**Edward**_

The trip to town was nice. I missed Bella terribly and worried about what she would find to do alone in the big house while I was gone. I kept having to remind myself that Esme was there for her if she had any problems. I just didn't want to spend a minute away from Bella. My love for her seemed to be compounding by leaps and bounds every day. Changing had not marred my Bella at all. Actually, it had enhanced the Bella that I loved so much. I spent a lot of time gazing at her portrait on the mantle of our study, telling myself that Bella really did still have her soul. It gave me hope for mine, though I didn't know whether my soul would be salvageable if it was, in fact, still intact. I had many past transgressions to be forgiven for, and just wasn't sure it was possible. It made me resolve that Bella and I had to live forever, because I would be thoroughly devastated if we somehow met our respective ends, and Bella wound up in Heaven while I was damned to Hell.

I was still rather unhappy with Emmett, but he was genuinely sorry for his behavior. I was not obstinate while we were on our trip to town, but I was aloof. Though I knew that he was sorry, I wanted to make sure he understood that what he did was unacceptable. I wasn't quite as angry with Jasper. He had actually remained in place longer than necessary out of concern that Emmett and I would fight.

The whole scene was miserably embarrassing. I didn't even realize they were there. I was just so happy that I was playing my piano, and the reaction that Bella had to it, I don't know what came over me. I just got lost in the moment and instinct overtook my mind and body. I wasn't even thinking, just acting out my carnal desires. It would not hurt my feelings if Bella and I did nothing but make love for eternity. Unfortunately, life is not like that.

I didn't blame Jasper for coming in the first place. He was taking on a large amount of responsibility helping Bella learn to control her emotions. I was eternally grateful for his knowledge of how to handle newborns. He was always so gentle and calm with her. Her mood swings were very frustrating for me, but Jasper seemed to take it all in stride. He kept assuring me that Bella was doing beautifully, which I already knew, but it was nice to hear it from him. Compared to other newborn vampires, Bella was clearly superior in every way. Her gift was amazing. Of course, I was biased because so far, it only worked on me. I had to admit, it was unnerving to have Bella in my head whenever she chose to be. I was quite protective of the privacy of my mind. I suppose that was because I had been looking into other people's thoughts for so long that I had plenty of time to decide that wasn't something I wanted to happen to me. I loved it so much that Bella could do it, but I was grappling with getting used to it. My two biggest concerns about this were that she would glimpse my mind while I was in the middle of a thought, take it out of context and get angry about it. My other concern was that I had things I still needed to tell Bella. I had not told her about the Spanish Flu or her change yet, and I knew that I had to, but I didn't want her to overhear it in my mind when I was thinking about it before I had a chance to sit her down and tell her. She was adjusting rather well, but not every day had been moonbeams and sunflowers. She definitely had her moments. I just didn't want to give her any ammunition, even innocently. She didn't understand my reasons for asking her not to look into my thoughts without letting me know she was there. I had only asked her to do that "for now." I didn't mean forever. I knew it bothered her though.

Throughout the day, I thought about what had happened at home. I know the family was mostly worried that Bella had become angry and attacked me. Jasper's thoughts had told me that the mix of emotions he was getting were really hard to decipher. It wasn't anger he felt, but not pure lust either. It was something different and it had confused him. Emmett had come because of the noise, thinking that Bella and I were fighting. Alice and Rosalie had followed their men to make sure everything was okay. Carlisle and Esme had both come secondary to the noise, again, to see if we were fighting. They really weren't there all that long, and after they got over the shock of what was happening, they were turning to leave. That is, until Emmett started clapping. They were all mortified by his display of juvenile conduct. After that, they were all worried that I was going to rip him apart, with good reason.

I had to admit that when Bella seemed to be taking Emmett's side, it upset me. I thought she should just let me handle it. It never would have happened again, of that I'm certain. She did have valid reasons for wanting to take care of it herself though. She was right in thinking that if I had gone after Emmett, he would have thought it a game. I had a feeling that Bella was not going to do anything to Emmett that he would expect. I was curious what her plan to exact revenge on Emmett was, but would wait until she shared it with me. Bella was exuding confidence like I had never seen, and I was enjoying it immensely. She was a new woman, and I liked the woman she was becoming. She and I would be a force to be reckoned with in the future, and I loved her all the more for it.

When we arrived at home, I was anxious to see Bella and find out what she had been up to. I had purchased a new cell phone for her since she had inadvertently crushed her old one. She felt terrible about it and did not want me to get her a new one, but as far as I was concerned, these things were to be expected. Besides, if I had to go to town without her again, I wanted her to be able to call me. We didn't know yet if her gift would work over distances. If it did, there may come a time when we didn't need our phones except to speak with the rest of the family. This thought brought me a smile. I really needed to talk to Bella and get things off my chest so that she could be in my mind whenever she wanted to be. All the time that I had longed to be able to read her mind, and now I could, and I wouldn't let her access mine.

I walked in the back door and looked around. The house was quiet. Esme peeked out of her study and said, "She is in your part of the house, Edward. She is waiting for you. She did just fine."

"Thank you, Esme."

She nodded to me and went back in her study. Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett were putting their purchases in their rooms, and then Alice had insisted the four of them go hunting. I wasn't sure what that was about, but Alice usually got her way. Carlisle headed into Esme's study and closed the door. I was curious about the behavior of my family, but shrugged and headed into the closed door of our study. It was dark inside, but I couldn't see Bella.

I closed the door behind me and headed into the closed double doors leading into our bedroom. I looked around and inhaled deeply. She had been here, but wasn't now. It was also dark. I couldn't hear her either. I was beginning to get excited. Bella was hiding from me. I tossed my purchases on a chair, and crept to the door to our private living room.

I peeked in before I entered and it was dark, except for different colored lights that were streaking across the room. I looked for the source and saw a multicolored disco ball on the mantle. I found that odd, but knew it had to be part of her plan. I couldn't wait to see what else she had in store for me. I stepped into the room and stood quietly, waiting. Her voice was husky when she said, "Sit down in the chair in front of you, Mr. Cullen."

I could not help the smile that plastered itself across my face, and I was hard instantly. I quickly sat down in the overstuffed chair that had been placed front and center in the room. Glancing around, I saw that the rest of the furniture had been moved back against the walls. After I sat down music started. Loud music. Bella's form appeared from behind the couch as she started belting out the lyrics and dancing towards me.

_Step back, gonna come at you fast  
__I'm drivin' out of control, I'm gettin' ready to crash  
__Won't stop shakin' up what I can  
__I serve it up in a shot, so suck it down like a man_

_So baby, yes, I know what I am  
__And no I don't give a damn and you'll be lovin' it_

Oh. My. God. She was dressed in a leather mini-skirt, with stiletto heels, and a black camisole that was see through. Her hair was popped out and curls were flinging every direction. She had on more makeup than I had ever seen her wear, and she was hot. My slacks were suddenly extremely uncomfortable as she started into the chorus and straddled my legs, gyrating her hips in the most sexy manner I had ever seen.

_Some days I'm a super bitch  
__Up to my old tricks but it won't last forever  
__Next day I'm your super girl  
__Out to save the world and it keeps gettin' better_

Holy crow! Even the monster in my head was excited, and I hadn't seen him for quite a while. He was roaring in my ear with delight as Bella turned to step away, and then looked over her shoulder with smoldering eyes and blew me a kiss as she began the next verse.

_Kiss kiss, gonna tell you right now  
__I make it sweet on the lips, I simply knock you out  
__Shut up, I don't care what you say  
_'_Cause when we're both in the ring, you're gonna like it my way_

_Yeah baby, there's a villain in me  
__So sexy, sour and sweet, and you'll be lovin' it_

She was so sexy I could hardly process it all. I was practically panting with desire. She slid up to me, reached out, and opened my shirt with a flick of her finger, sending my buttons flying all over the room. Then she put her back to me, slid down on my lap, and threw her head back over my shoulder as she started singing out the chorus again.

_Some days I'm a super bitch  
__Up to my old tricks but it won't last forever  
__Next day I'm your super girl  
__Out to save the world and it keeps gettin' better_

I couldn't hold back the growl that came from deep in my chest when she slid her bottom across my erection as she sang the bridge.

_Hold on  
__It keeps gettin' better  
__Hold on  
__It keeps gettin' better_

As if that wasn't enough, she spun around and pinned my arms to the armrests of the chair when she sang the next verse to me, wiggling her ass in my lap until I was sure I was going to blow. The air was so sexually charged that I could feel it weighing down my chest.

_In the blink of an eye, in the speed of the night  
__I hold the universe up, I'll make your planets collide  
__I'ma strap on my boots and I slip on my suit  
__You see the vixen in me becomes an angel for you_

By the time she came back to the chorus, I was hyperventilating. Not a small feat for a vampire. She released my arms and jumped backwards landing in the middle of the room, and then started a sexy walk right towards me as she sang.

_Some days I'm a super bitch  
__Up to my old tricks but it won't last forever  
__Next day I'm your super girl  
__Out to save the world and it keeps gettin' better_

I couldn't take any more. I started to stand up and grab her, but she put her hands in the middle of my chest, and forced me back into the chair. She turned around, still singing, and slid her panties off right in front of me, making sure I saw her ass as she did. I had created a sexual monster in my Bella, and she was right, it just kept getting better.

As the song was winding to a close, she came back to me and straddled my lap again. She leaned in and placed her lips against mine, softly at first, but becoming increasingly demanding. The CD changer clicked to change CD's and the sensual sounds of John Coltrane started playing. I barely noticed because Bella's hands were all over my chest, massaging, squeezing, pinching, and caressing. I was lost in the taste and feel of her. She had learned all the right places to touch me to elicit her desired response, and it felt like she was touching them all.

Without taking her lips from mine, she reached between us and freed my aching erection from my pants. I moaned when her hand closed around it and slowly stroked me. I reached for her and slid my hands up her sides from her waist to her breasts. She moaned into my mouth as my thumbs grazed her peaks.

"I missed you, baby," she whispered, still nibbling and sucking on my lips.

"Mmmmmm," I moaned, "I missed you too, angel."

Her body was moving sensually against mine, and her hand was still gently stroking me. I expected her to open our mind connection, but she didn't. Instead, she moved her lips across my jaw and whispered in my ear, while licking and sucking it.

"Take off your pants, Edward. I want you, right here, right now, in this chair."

I quickly scanned the house with my mind while I yanked off my pants. The only ones home were Carlisle and Esme and they seemed to be absorbed in their own distractions. Bella lowered herself onto my shaft and both of us cried out in pleasure as her soft, wet folds enveloped me. She was so tight, wet, and warm that I growled loudly in spite of my desire to remain quiet.

"Bella, you feel so good," I growled in her ear while my lips whispered down her neck. She shivered and moaned. She was stroking up and down on me with dizzying slowness. I desperately wanted to take control and move her the way I felt like she needed to move, but I resisted. Instead, I let my hands roam over her body, touching every bit of skin that was available to me. She still had on all of her clothes, save for her panties, and that was incredibly arousing somehow. I slid my hands up her back and unsnapped her bra. I pulled my hands around her sides and found her breasts. I teased her hard peaks until they were straining against my fingers.

Gently, I pushed Bella back until my lips met one nipple. I swirled my tongue against it and she thrust hard into my lap. She was completely in control of our tempo, and it was increasing, fast. I closed my mouth around her nipple and bit down gently. She squealed and increased her tempo some more. I felt rather smug suddenly and stood up. Bella's legs wrapped around my hips and she never missed a beat. She threw her head back and growled while her hips continued to slam into mine repeatedly. I was quickly losing control. I could feel instinct taking over as I stood there, hanging on to Bella while she literally fucked me senseless. I didn't want to lose control again. I couldn't stomach the thought of any member of my family stumbling onto our love-making again. I steeled myself against the instinct and resolved that uncontrolled animal fucking was not going to take place within the walls of our home again as long as we lived with the family. I turned and walked towards the bedroom, crooning to Bella, "Slow down, love. Calm down, I want to enjoy you, Bella."

I reached the edge of our bed and she leaned up to look at me, stopping all movement. "What's wrong, Edward?"

"Nothing is wrong, love. I just want to savor you for a while." Her eyes flashed and she threw her arms around me, disengaging her body from mine. She stood on the bed and stepped to the middle of it. Gently, she kicked off her shoes and they landed in the middle of the floor. She grinned at me, and unzipped her skirt, sliding it down over her silky smooth hips letting it land on the bed, and then flicking it away with her toe. I started to climb on the bed towards her and she stopped me by putting up her hand. I was crouched on the edge of the bed, waiting. She turned around, reached for the bottom of her blouse, and slowly pulled it over her head, staring over her shoulder at me. _Where did she learn to be so fucking sexy?_

She smiled at me, and I knew that she was giving me the go ahead, so I crawled slowly the rest of the way up on the bed, grabbed her around the legs, and pulled her down. Once she was on her back, I kneeled between her legs and put my hands on the insides of her knees. She looked up at me with innocent eyes and smiled demurely as she let her legs be pushed apart. If my heart would have been able to beat, it would have been pounding. She was a vision of beauty. Her ivory skin stood out in immaculate contrast to the dark blue linens on the bed. Her hair, curled in tight, perfect curls spread out around her, framing her face and shoulders. I let my eyes wander downward over her body, taking in the flawless mounds of her breasts, each peak sublimely hardened. I watched her chest heave with the breaths that she didn't need, but instinctually took. Her superb stomach was flat and muscular and I allowed my eyes to take in each contour, each peak, and each valley of her torso. I glanced back up at her face, and her eyes were still boring into me with just a hint of a smile on her pure pouty lips. I smirked in satisfaction as my eyes wandered back down across her beautiful body to the soft folds of skin between her legs. "You are exquisite, Bella, positively exquisite," I murmured to her while I leaned in to taste her.

She shuddered when my tongue flicked across her soft folds of skin. "Oh Bella, you taste delectable." Bella moaned loudly at this and arched her pelvis towards my mouth. I smiled as my tongue swirled around her bundle of nerves, causing her to shudder. I slid two fingers inside her and curled them. Bella growled. I loved her growl. It came from deep in her chest and sounded more vicious than even Rosalie's growl. I would do anything to hear that sound. My fingers were thrusting into her, pressing upward, and my tongue was working her clit. I was playing her like I played my piano. I was orchestrating her every move, every sound, every tremble. This was exactly what I wanted. I wanted complete control over her. I needed it. I could feel each muscle in her body start to tense and knew that she was close. I increased the pressure of my fingers towards her g-spot and continued my ministrations with my tongue. Suddenly, her muscles all tensed at once, and I raised my eyes up to see her. When she released, she screamed, nothing intelligible, just screaming in the throes of passion. There was nothing better than the vision of my Bella having an orgasm at my hands and I was rather pleased with myself for the one I had just given her. I looked around to see the sheets on either side of her shredded from her fingers and chuckled. Good thing I bought a hundred sets when I bought those. My mind quickly scanned the house again, and noted that Carlisle and Esme were gone now too. I smiled as I crawled up to hover over Bella, who was still panting and making small noises. "Did you enjoy that, love?"

Her eyes met mine, and I could see the answer in them. She definitely had. She smiled in response. Her arms snaked around my neck, pulling me to her. Her lips met mine and kissed me hungrily. I moaned into her mouth. Her legs wrapped around my hips, and pulled me to her. We both cried out as I entered her again, her tight muscles clamping down on my length. My thrusts started slowly, but increased in speed and intensity. Bella met each of my thrusts fervently. I watched her face contort into the faces of ecstasy as we danced together. Time was ticking by and we ignored its passage. We were too lost in each other. Bella's mind connection was closed, but we didn't need it. Everything we needed to say to each other was evident in our faces. Bella climaxed once, twice, and then a third time before I finally let myself come with her. Our bodies were as one; hearts, minds, and souls intertwined forever.

Bella and I held each other through the night. For a long time, we were silent, just enjoying feeling each other's naked bodies pressed together. I heard the rest of our family return home from their hunt, and was happy that none of them felt compelled to come in and check on Bella and myself. Emmett turned the television on and Jasper challenged Rosalie to a game of chess. I could hear their happy banter from the Great Room and it was somewhat comforting to hear everyone's happiness. Carlisle left to go work at the hospital some time early in the morning. Alice was looking at a fashion catalog and kept interrupting Rosalie's chess game with Jasper to show her new things. They all sounded as though they were having a great time. I looked down at Bella, and kissed the top of her head.

"Bella? I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it, Edward?" she said softly as she scooted closer to me, intertwining her legs with mine.

"You haven't asked me about your illness and your change, love. Do you want to… know… about it?"

"I guess I am ready to hear about it, if you are ready to tell me, Edward. I know that it was difficult for you and I know that you have not wanted to talk about it yet."

I sighed. She knew me so well. I wondered why I had put this off all these weeks. "Yes, Bella. I'm ready to talk to you about it. I think you deserve to know the truth."

She looked up at me, and her crimson eyes held questions in them, but she didn't speak. Her eyes bored into mine, waiting for my story. I took a deep breath before I started.

"Bella, your illness was…"

"I know it almost killed me and that's why you changed me, Edward. What else is there that I need to know?"

"Please let me finish, Bella."

"I'm sorry."

I didn't want to have to say it. I didn't want to tell her that her illness was caused by me. I thought fleetingly about skipping it, but I knew that wasn't fair to my Bella. I had to tell her. I needed to tell her. "I gave you Spanish Influenza, Bella," I blurted out. I cringed and waited for her reaction.

"Did it start an epidemic?" she asked with concern.

All the questions that I had expected, and she asked if it had started an epidemic. I expected her to ask how I gave it to her, not if she had given it to anyone else. Slowly, I answered, "No, the virus had… mutated. You couldn't give it to anyone else."

She sighed and said, "Well, that's a relief."

I waited for the onslaught that was sure to come, but still she said nothing else. "Bella? Don't you want to know how I gave it to you?"

"Does it matter, Edward? I assume that it had lain dormant in you for all those years somehow. I don't care. What did you expect? Did you expect me to be angry? I'm not, and I'm not going to be. The only thing that matters is that I am here with you now, and I get to be here with you forever. How I got sick, what I had, why my change happened the way it did, none of that matters." She leaned up on her elbow and looked into my eyes while she continued, "I hope you have not been dwelling on this the last few weeks, Edward. It's not right for you to worry about it. I can't believe that you would honestly think I cared one way or the other. You gave me what I wanted, and that was you. It didn't matter to me what I had to do to be with you. What matters to me is that I am with you. Edward, are you ever going to understand just how much I love you and that we were meant to be together? If you gave me Spanish Flu and had to change me before I died, then it stands to reason that it was meant to be that way, just like everything else that has happened to us. We are meant for each other, Edward." She waved her hand at the ceiling and said, "Someone bigger than both of us planned this for us somehow, and I'm not going to argue with it because it makes me happy. Please don't feel guilty about it any more, Edward. Please."

_She's not angry with me? She's not… angry… with me. She's not angry with me!_

"I'm sorry, Bella. I love you, and you are right. There are too many things that have happened for it to be simple coincidence. I never believed in predestination before Bella, but I think I am starting to. You have managed to convince me, finally, that we are meant for each other, and whomever," I waved my hand at the ceiling, "decided that knew what they were doing because I couldn't be happier." I kissed her softly. She was right. I couldn't deny it anymore. How many times had she tried to convince me of this and I had ignored her? Bella knew more than I had ever given her credit for, and finally, I was going to trust her and her knowledge, and let it go. I wasn't going to make myself miserable forever over things I obviously had no control of. Bella hugged her arms around me and buried her face in my chest, just like she used to do when she was human. I sighed and held her close to me, kissing her hair. It felt so natural to have her next to me. I closed my eyes, and decided to finish my confession.

"I have to tell you something else, Bella. I don't think you will be upset with me, but I have to tell you because it has been bothering me, and I don't want any secrets between us. Once I get this off my chest, you are free to read my mind any time you want to. Just return the favor sometimes, please?"

"Anything you want, Edward. I'm all yours, after all."

She was too easy. "I nearly killed you when I changed you. Jacob was here with us, and he saw the whole thing. Everyone but Carlisle attacked me and had to take me far out into the woods to calm me down. I did everything I was supposed to do, but when it was all over, the lust for your blood overtook me, and I… well, I wasn't myself for a while. I wanted to apologize to you for that, even though you were unconscious from the medications that Carlisle was giving you and didn't know it." She didn't even twitch. In fact, she held me tighter.

"I didn't expect it to be easy for you, Edward, but I knew that you would get through it. I was your singer. I know what happened when Emmett found his. I am impressed that you were able to control yourself for so long. You have a strength in you that is amazing, Edward. I accept your apology, if that will make you feel better, but you don't owe it to me. I have smelled human blood, and I don't think either one of those delivery guys were my singer. I stand in awe of your control over these past years to not just kill me and be done with it. I'm glad that you had your family here to help you. I'm only curious about one thing. What was Jacob doing here?"

I loved Bella more all the time. I still didn't feel like I deserved her love, but somehow, she had a way of convincing me.

"Jacob came along because he was worried about you, and we let him come. After I almost killed you, he came back to you, said goodbye, and left. It was for the best that way. I wasn't sure how you would have reacted if he was still here when you awakened anyway."

"Thank you."

"For what, love?"

"For being kind to Jacob and letting him come along. I'm sure it was difficult for you to do that, and probably difficult for him as well, which is, I'm sure, why he left. I hope he finds someone, Edward. I really hope he does."

I sighed and stroked her hair. My Bella, always concerned about others. Silently, I hoped Jacob would find someone too. It would save me having to see him lusting after my wife again. I quickly quelled that thought. Bella didn't need to hear me saying that, aloud or silently.

When morning broke, the sun shone brightly through the windows on the east side of Bella's and my sanctuary. I felt better, somehow, after our discussion in the night. I could feel that a weight had been lifted off me, and I felt silly for keeping these things from Bella, and for worrying about her reaction to them. I had to trust my Bella because she always knew just what to say.

Alice's voice was calling to me, asking if we were going to join the family today. I looked down at Bella, who had not moved for hours. She had nuzzled into my chest and lay motionless for the rest of the night after our talk.

"Bella?" I whispered.

"Yes?"

"You almost looked like you were sleeping, love"

"I was just relaxing and enjoying being with you, Edward."

"Are you thirsty, love?"

"Yes, but I hunted day before yesterday. Shouldn't I wait?"

I chuckled. Bella trying to hold off her thirst as a newborn was amazing. "No, love. You don't need to wait. You have plenty of time to learn to wait. Alice would like us to come join the rest of the family. Do you want to get up?"

Lithely, she hopped out of bed and grinned as she headed towards the bathroom. I followed her, and we both got showered and dressed.

Later, when we joined the family in the Great Room, they were all abuzz. I quickly scanned their minds to see what the excitement was about. Apparently we were to have visitors. The Denalis were coming to welcome us to Alaska. I suddenly wished I was not so adept at mentally ignoring my family and their mind chatter. Had I known about this earlier, I would have been able to tell Bella before Alice blurted it out in a rather crude manner.

"The Denalis are coming today! Isn't that exciting, Bella?" Alice grinned at me. I glared back.

Bella stared at Alice for a second, and then put a fake smile on her face. "Yeah, that's great, Alice. When are they coming?"

"They will be here in a couple of hours!" Alice said, bouncing up and down on her toes.

I could see that Bella was uncomfortable about something, so I grabbed her hand and said, "Bella is thirsty, we'll be back in a while," and led her out the front door.

Bella opened her mind connection to me as we raced through the woods, looking for something suitable to snack on.

"_Edward? What was that all about?"_

"_You looked uncomfortable with Alice's excitement that the Denalis were coming. I decided it was time for us to leave for a bit."_

"_Oh, it showed?"_

I chuckled softly as I silently answered her. _"Yes, love. It showed."_

"_I'm sorry, Edward. I'm just not sure if I'm ready to face Tanya."_

"_Bella, I don't understand what you are worried about. You met her at the wedding and the two of you hardly spoke."_

Bella's inner voice sounded miserable when she finally replied, _"I know, Edward, and I'm sorry. I was intimidated by her then, and I'm intimidated by her now."_

"_I don't know why, Bella. She never meant anything to me other than a friend. It is not as though she is going to try to take me from you or anything, and it certainly isn't as though she could even if she wanted to."_

We both caught the rare scent of mountain lion in Alaska at the same time.

"_That smells yummy, Edward. What is it?"_

I was so excited I could barely answer. _"Mountain lion, Bella. Slow down for a minute. They aren't easy to catch."_ We both stopped. I wondered what mountain lions were doing here. I could easily tell that there were at least two of them. I was anxious to find them so Bella could try one. She knew they were my favorite but since their appearance in Alaska was rare, I hadn't had one in a while. We tracked them briefly and silently stalked them when we found them. When the time was right, we pounced, each winning our prey easily. Bella was already a wonderful, and voracious hunter. I was proud of her hunting skills. When we had finished our meal, we cleaned up, as usual, making sure no trace of the blood-drained animals was left behind.

"_What do you think, love?"_

"_Delicious," _she thought with a smile on her face.

"_I'm so glad that you like it."_

Bella stepped over to me and hugged me tightly. She whispered, "It's definitely my favorite, Edward."

Bella and I headed for home, both feeling quite satisfied after our meal of mountain lion blood. When we arrived, Bella glided past everyone into our study. I started to follow and she stopped me.

"I'm going to get ready, Edward. I don't need any help."

I was frustrated with the attitude she was giving me with the tone of her voice. I knew exactly what she was getting ready for. She was getting ready for Tanya to arrive.

"Okay, Bella. I'll stay here," I said, gesturing at the room in general. I wasn't sure why she was copping such attitude about this whole thing. Tanya couldn't hold a candle to Bella, either in beauty, or in any other way. I didn't want Bella to be jealous of Tanya. There was no reason for it. I was slightly nervous about the Denalis' visit. Jasper clapped me on the shoulder and I felt calm immediately. I glanced over at him.

"Thanks, Jasper."

"Anytime, Edward. Care for a game of chess?"

It wasn't often that any member of my family asked me to play chess with them. They seemed to think that my being able to read their mind was an unfair advantage. I nodded to him, and we each took our seats. Jasper was blocking me by going over complicated military strategies. Years of practice had taught him that this was the best way for him to keep me out. I listened to the sounds of Bella taking a shower and moving around our bedroom as Jasper and I played. I was distracted, and Jasper beat me. It was just in time anyway, I heard the excited minds of the Denalis as they approached the house.

Bella, Alice, and Rosalie all appeared in the great room at the same time. They all looked wonderful. Alice was silently pleased at Bella's choice of outfit. She was wearing a short sapphire blue sundress with white sandals. She had her locket on and it looked lovely lying on her chest, shining in the light. Her hair was in long curls tumbling over her shoulders softly, and her face was bright. She was wearing makeup again, not as much as the night before, but she was wearing it. I crossed the room to her quickly and took her in my arms. "You look ravishing, love," I said as I swung her around. She giggled and gave me a quick kiss. Esme appeared just as Eleazar knocked on the front door.

There was quite a bustle of activity as Eleazar, Carmen, Kate, Irina, and then Tanya entered the house. Bella and I held back, waiting for the rest of the family to greet them. After everyone else had hugged them and said their hellos, Bella stepped forward and went straight to Tanya. She grabbed her and hugged her tightly while I smirked silently by her side.

"It's so good to see you again, Tanya!" Bella exclaimed, with a little too much enthusiasm. I could see that Tanya was confused. Her mind was wondering what was going on with this ardent greeting Bella was giving her.

"It's good to see you too, Bella," Tanya said with much less interest than Bella was showing in her. I reached for Tanya's hand to shake it, while still smirking at her thoughts. _"Well, I certainly didn't expect her to turn out like this. She was so quiet, and shy, and… plain before. Now, here she is, beautiful and confident. I have no chance. I thought maybe Edward would be less interested in her after she was changed…"_

"How are you, Tanya?" I asked politely.

"Great, Edward, and you?" she asked, smiling.

"Absolutely fantastic!" I answered enthusiastically while placing my arm around Bella's waist and pulling her closer to me. Bella smiled at Tanya, and moved on to hug Irina, Kate, Carmen, and Eleazar. I shook hands with each of them politely, exchanging small talk.

Everyone sat down to chat, all of us doing our best to pretend to be human. I was amused at our ruse since we were all vampires now. Then again, all of us had spent a lot of time learning to fit in with the humans, so it was natural to us to pretend to be human around each other. Bella was doing pretty well at practicing to be human. She had complained that she had to remind herself to blink and shift her position occasionally because she didn't need to do those things now. I had to remind her that just a few short weeks ago, those things were second nature to her, and they would be again.

Eleazar was quite interested in Bella. He was watching her carefully, measuring her up. I knew that he was assessing her abilities and her gift. I heard a tiny pop in my head, almost imperceptible, but Bella's inner voice followed it almost immediately, and then I knew. The tiny pop was when she opened our connection. I glanced at her and smiled. She would never get in without me knowing again. I was happy to know this now. I wondered why I had never noticed it before. Perhaps I had always been distracted by something at the time, and this time, I was particularly in tune to Bella, making sure that she was not becoming upset.

"_Edward, why is Eleazar staring at me? And what are you laughing at?"_

"_I'm not laughing, love. I just noticed that when you open your connection, I can hear the tiniest pop in my mind. Eleazar is figuring out what your talents are. We will talk to him about it later."_

"_So, you know when I connect with you now?"_

"_Yes, does that bother you?"_

"_No, I'm glad actually. It will keep me from ever trying to be… sneaky."_

I smiled at her again, and turned my attention back to our visitors. Eleazar's thoughts came at me then. _"Can she read anyone's mind but yours?"_

I shook my head at him and he nodded in acknowledgement. He didn't say anything else directly to me, so I ignored his thoughts. Emmett was up to his usual antics, trying to vie for the attention of the Denali women. Rose was looking at him with a disgusted look on her face. Bella was making side comments to me in my head and was almost cracking me up more than Emmett.

Alice was talking to them about new designers and winter fashions. Their discussion was rather animated. I stood, taking Bella's hand, and motioned to Eleazar. Carlisle walked in the back door as we were exiting it, and I motioned for him to follow us. We all walked silently towards the woods. Bella's voice was in my head saying, _"What are we doing, Edward?"_

"_Going to see if Eleazar can figure out how your invisibility works."_

"_Oh…"_

When we arrived in the clearing I was looking for, I turned to face them all. "Eleazar, Bella has another talent. I was wondering if you could help us figure out… how it works."

"Of course, Edward. I wasn't going to say anything. I didn't know if you all knew about it yet."

Carlisle looked curiously at each of us, asking me with his mind what was going on. I quickly explained, "Bella went invisible yesterday, Carlisle. She was angry with me," I glanced at her, "for thinking that she and I should move to the chateau so I could protect her from Emmett, and she disappeared. I couldn't even smell her. I was hoping that Eleazar could help us figure it out, and that you could maybe help us as well. She doesn't know how she did it."

"I'm still angry with you for that, Edward. You haven't told me yet if you changed your mind," Bella said icily. I realized this was part of her plan last night. She had wanted to show me that she didn't care that we lived in the same house with the family. I stared at her with new understanding.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I was angry with Emmett. I am not taking you anywhere. Okay, love?" Her eyes tightened for a moment, and then her face relaxed.

"Thank you, Edward."

I kissed her quickly, glad that I had finally gotten a clue and figured that dilemma out. Women could be so difficult to understand sometimes.

Eleazar was looking at Bella thoughtfully. "May I?" he asked her, holding his hand out.

She nodded and reached out for his hand. Carlisle and I stood back and watched as Eleazar studied her. Bella looked slightly uncomfortable under his scrutiny, but didn't move or flinch. He reached for her other hand, and Bella held it out to him. He took it, and concentrated hard on her face. Carlisle and I exchanged glances. Eleazar released Bella's hands and walked around her, looking her over. Bella glanced at me questioningly and I smiled in encouragement. Finally, Eleazar stopped, and said, "Well, you are a rather interesting enigma, Bella."

I moved closer to her, and took her hand. Carlisle stood on her other side, and we all stood in a circle, waiting for Eleazar's assessment of Bella's abilities. He started out slowly, carefully.

"Bella, did you feel any differently when you became invisible?" he asked.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"Well, first I am going to address your mind abilities, Bella. It seems that you have some kind of connection with Edward. I can't entirely understand it, but it seems that Edward is the only one your mind connection works with, or will ever work with. To everyone else, you are a shield. You are completely immune to attempts to probe your mind, which is good. That will be very valuable to you. However, the Volturi will find it quite valuable as well, unfortunately."

Bella squeezed my hand, and I squeezed hers. Eleazar went on to say, "The invisibility is rather unique as well, Bella. I've never seen anything like it. I gather that it has only happened once so far?"

Bella and I both nodded in unison.

"You said that it was connected to an extreme emotion, probably anger. That one seems to usually bring these things out in vampires," he said, chuckling.

Bella and I both laughed along with him, exchanging glances, and nodding again. Carlisle was listening quietly, mulling over the implications of Bella's gifts. I glared at him briefly, and he stopped, apologizing in his mind. I knew full well what the implications were going to be. Aro was going to want her, badly, and there would be no way to hide from him. I turned my attention back to our old friend Eleazar, hoping he would have some advice for us.

I was listening to Eleazar's thoughts, and he too, was concerned about what impact this was going to have on our family. He looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "Bella, I want you to concentrate on becoming invisible. Clear your mind of everything else, and concentrate hard."

Bella nodded and closed her eyes. I released her hand and took a step back so that I would not distract her. Bella's eyes were squeezed shut and her brow was knitted in concentration. Eleazar, Carlisle, and I watched her carefully. We all stood staring at her for several long minutes while nothing happened. I could see the frustration growing on Bella's face. Finally, she opened her eyes and said, "I can't do it. It's not working."

I rushed to her side and hugged her to my chest. "Shhh, Bella, it's okay. Nobody expected you to be able to do it on your first try."

Eleazar and Carlisle both voiced their agreement. Bella pushed away from me, her eyes wide with fear as she looked from one to the other of us. She whispered, "This is going to be bad. The Volturi are going to want me if I learn to do this."

I looked to Carlisle and Eleazar for support. Carlisle stepped forward and took her hand. "Bella, I don't want you to worry about that. We will protect you, no matter the cost. But, Bella, you are going to have to learn how to use this gift. It could be imperative for your survival. Listen to what Eleazar tells you, and practice every day."

Bella nodded and looked back to Eleazar. He was contemplating her silently, and then said, "Edward, you said you couldn't even smell her?"

"That's right. I couldn't see her, or smell her. I could hear her, but her voice was muffled."

"Bella, the shield over your mind is what can make you invisible. You simply pushed it out and around your body, causing your body to become as invisible as your mind. That is what you need to concentrate on, pushing your mind out to make you as invisible as it is."

Bella looked at him for a brief moment, and then closed her eyes again. She nodded once, and then stood as still as a statue. Minutes ticked by, but there was no frustration on Bella's face, she was working things out. I took a step backwards, when all at once, she disappeared again. Once second she was there, and the next she was gone.

"Bella?" I said quietly.

"I'm here, Edward," she answered.

_Incredible._ I felt her touch my arm, and looked down. My arm disappeared, then, as I watched, my entire body disappeared. I looked at Eleazar and Carlisle both looking at us with wide eyes. Bella held my hand tightly. I kept looking around to where I knew we both should be, but we weren't there.

"Edward? Do you feel any differently?" Eleazar asked.

"No, it's just disconcerting to look down at your body and not be able to see it. It's pure reflex to move around. Spatially, I know where all of my body parts are, but I can't see them, or Bella's."

"Bella, if you are still touching Edward, let go of him for a moment, but do not break your concentration."

Bella let go of me, and immediately I was visible again. I was amazed. My Bella was extremely talented. I was smiling at her. Carlisle stepped forward and reached out his hand towards where Bella should have been standing. A moment later, he disappeared.

"Absolutely amazing," Eleazar mused. "This has got to be one of the most wonderful gifts I've seen in a vampire. You are a very special lady, Bella."

"Thank you," Bella said softly.

Carlisle reappeared, and a moment later Bella did too. She looked at me with a smile, but I could see fear in her eyes. I tried to smile encouragingly at her. She had no idea what a special gift this was. She would practice and perfect it, and it would come in handy for her in many ways, I was sure.

"Is there anything else, Eleazar?" I asked.

"No, Edward. I think that is all, but it is certainly enough," he marveled. I had to agree, it was more than enough.

"Thank you. Thank you very much for helping us with this, Eleazar," I said, clapping him on the shoulder. I took Bella's hand to walk back to the house with her, but she hung back. Carlisle and Eleazar were talking animatedly about her gifts as they made their way back. I looked over at Bella, and she was staring at me.

"They'll come and they'll take me, Edward. I know they will. I will not have a choice, and they will take you, too."

I took both of her hands in mine and stopped, facing her. "Love, I don't want you to worry your pretty little head about that for one more minute. Yes, they are going to want you, love, but we are not going to let that happen to you. Not in a million years am I letting the Volturi get their hands on you. You have to trust me, Bella. It's not going to happen. Carlisle and Eleazar are just as resolved that they are not getting you, so please, don't worry about it. Why don't you just have some fun with it for now, okay?"

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Well, I was thinking about that revenge I wanted to take on Emmett," she said with a twinkle in her crimson eyes.

"That's the spirit," I said, chuckling softly. I was actually dying to see that. I was sure that she would take him quite by surprise, and I couldn't wait.

**_End Note: I need reviews! Edward has promised me a special surprise for everyone if we top 500 reviews this chapter, so come on everybody! Leave us some love! In the meantime, we will be sipping our red wine and working on the next chapter!_**


	21. Chapter 21 Bella's Revenge

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or any of the characters. I do own this story, some really good red wine, and three labrador retrievers. Oh, yeah, Edward is still mine too.

**_A/N Yay! We made 500 reviews! Edward has a special surprise for all the wonderful reviewers! I will let him announce it below! This chapter is lovingly dedicated to JustBiteMePlease and Lillie Cullen. JustBiteMePlease stayed up late with me, helping me plot Bella's Revenge, and went above and beyond the call of duty of a friend to give me a hand, so if you think it's funny, thank her! She is awesome! Lillie Cullen is the Goddess of all things, and I love her. Without her, this story would never get from my brain to your eyes, so if you enjoy it, thank her too! At the very least, go and read both of their stories'! Please enjoy Bella's Revenge!_**

**_A/N From Edward Cullen: Hello all of you wonderful reviewers out there who got my Mistress up to 500 reviews! I have enjoyed reading and responding to your reviews with her, and will continue, as long as the red wine holds out. Now, as a special treat, I have VIP Passes for all of you, courtesy of Miss Lillie Cullen, to the current NCB show that is in Houston, Texas at the Lillie Cullen Theater! Enjoy the show ladies, and keep the reviews coming. Our next goal is 1,000!_**

_**Bella**_

I had better days, and worse days, than the day Tanya came to visit. It was wonderful because I discovered my gift. Invisibility. How awesome is that? When Edward told me to have fun with it, I couldn't help but think of Emmett. I still owed him some payback, and payback he was going to get. I started scheming anew as soon as I figured out how to make my invisibility work. I completely discarded my previous plan. I had a new plan, a much better plan. I was going to have to employ Edward's help, which I knew he was going to love.

When we arrived back at home, everyone was still milling around the house visiting. Tanya was staring at me with pure curiosity on her face. I quickly opened my connection with Edward, or as I was starting to call it, my Edcom, short for Edward Communicator, and asked him what Tanya was thinking about. He let her thoughts stream through the communicator and winced when he looked at me.

"_I just can't understand him. Why didn't he want me? Everyone wants me. I can't help but think there must be something wrong with him for wanting her. She is beautiful, but she was a virgin for crying out loud. How could she be THAT good? I wonder if Edward would let me just 'teach' him a few moves…"_

I cut off the connection. I was not listening to another second of that vicious woman. If she thought she was getting her filthy hands on My Edward she had another thing coming. I glared at her across the room. Edward stepped in front of me to break my glare, but I stood on my tiptoes and glared over his shoulder. My anger was rising quickly. Jasper rose from the chair he was occupying, and was next to me in an instant.

"Bella, darlin', let's go for a walk, okay?"

I didn't want to go for a walk. I desperately wanted to tear that bitch to shreds and walk over her pile of ashes repeatedly. I continued to glare at her, and the more I glared, the wider her smile became. Somewhere inside of me, I knew that she was toying with me, and that I should not let her get to me because that was exactly what she wanted. However, my newborn vampire emotions were so strong and overwhelming that I could not get control of myself. I knew that if I continued to let this ire take control of me, the end result was not going to be pretty. I felt Jasper's hand on me and the calm started invading my mind. Jasper and Edward started pushing me towards our study. The calm was not helping much, but enough to make my feet start to move towards the study, and then I turned and walked solemnly in and flopped in my chair in front of the fireplace.

Edward and Jasper were both kneeling in front of me and Alice came dancing into the room. Alice's voice, from behind me, was concerned.

"What's going on, Bella?" she asked softly. "I just had a vision of you killing Tanya."

I nodded my head. "She doesn't like me and wonders what Edward is doing with me. She still wants Edward. I don't want her in our house."

I knew that every vampire in the house could hear me. I wasn't trying to keep my voice low, as I should have. I wanted her to hear me. I didn't care what the consequences were.

"Shhh, now, Bella. Calm down a minute, please?" Edward said quietly.

I glared at him. How dare he? Jasper's calm was still swirling around me, taking my defenses down slowly. With each passing second, I could feel it breaking through my angry façade. I didn't want it to, but it was. I had noticed that Jasper's gift did not work as quickly and easily on me as a vampire as it had when I was a human. A memory of sitting in a hotel room with Jasper and Alice washed through my mind. Jasper had used his gift to calm me, and it relaxed me so much that I slept. I looked sadly at Jasper, then Edward. Alice came around in front of me and kneeled between them, taking my hands.

"Bella, if Tanya is toying with you," she began very quietly, "then you are giving her exactly what she wants." Her eyes never left mine and I knew she was absolutely right. I looked at each of them and bowed my head.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," I said softly. Alice squeezed my hands.

"My vision has changed, Bella. You are not going to do anything… to Tanya…" she said, pausing. She started giggling, which broke into a chuckle, and then her tinkling laughter filled the air. I looked up at her and started giggling too. Edward, seeing what Alice was seeing, chuckled as well. Jasper looked at all of us as though we were crazy. In a fit of hysterics, Alice asked, "Can I… tell… Jasper?" I nodded at her, laughing too hard to speak.

Alice leaned over to Jasper, and whispered so softly that even I could barely hear her, what my plan for Emmett was. He started chuckling as she spoke, and by the time she was done, he was all out laughing too. All three of them had twinkling eyes when they stood. Emmett burst through the door to the study and bellowed, "What's so damn funny in here?"

The four of us looked at each other and shrugged. "Nothing really, Emmett. Why do you ask?" Edward said, his velvety voice tinged with laughter. Emmett pouted at us. Alice and I were both trying to stifle our giggles.

"You are all in here laughing. If there is something funny, I want in on the joke."

I finally made my face look serious and said, "Weren't you asked to _knock_ before entering our place, Emmett?"

Emmett started stuttering. "Oh, yeah, um, er, I'm, uh, I'm sorry," he said while he was backing out of the room.

As soon as the door closed, we all burst into uncontrollable laughter again. Emmett growled outside the door, which sent us all into another fit of hysterics. I heard him walking away from the door, muttering something about us all being jerks. We all tried to stop laughing. Finally, as we calmed down, Alice and Jasper excused themselves to go back to the company. I declined to join them just yet. I was embarrassed by my earlier actions. I decided instead to do some work at my desk. I had a lot of projects going over there.

I made my way over to the mahogany desk and sat down in my chair, trying to decide what I felt like working on. I picked up the envelope with the pictures in it, and turned it over in my hands a couple of times. Edward casually strolled over and stood behind me with his hands on my shoulders. He gently massaged my shoulders and neck and I moaned in appreciation.

"What have you got there, love?" he asked softly, still massaging my shoulders with his long fingers.

"Oh, nothing much," I said, still looking at the envelope in my hands. I wondered why these pictures intrigued me so much.

"It doesn't look like nothing, Bella. The way you are holding it makes me think it is something. What is it? Or would you prefer not to talk about it?"

I chuckled. "No, Edward. It's nothing that I wouldn't want to talk to you about. It's kind of silly, actually." I paused for a moment, and then opened the envelope, shaking the pictures out into my hand. "They are the pictures that came out of that locket I attached to your watch. I've been curious about who they might have been is all."

Edward came around from behind me to examine the pictures when I laid them on the desk. I was looking at them curiously when I heard Edward inhale sharply. His hand flashed in front of me and he picked them up. He was scrutinizing them closely, and then he slowly pulled his watch out of his pocket. He looked up at me with sadness filling his eyes. "These pictures… came out…" he choked out. He seemed to be having difficulty getting the words out, so I opened our connection. I was shocked at what Edward's mind was consumed with.

"Your parents?!" I squeaked.

The door flew open and Alice came bounding into the room in an instant, having seen what Edward's reaction was going to be when I showed the pictures to him. "Edward, are you sure?" she asked.

I nodded. He was sure. His body was shaking and I heard the sobs in his mind while his physical body sobbed as well. It was gut wrenching to see Edward like this. His beautiful face was full of sorrow, his eyes full of agony. As the gold in his eyes swirled, it became darker, and his shoulders heaved with his sobs. I could see images of his parents in his mind. The images were flashing by quickly and I struggled to absorb each one before the next one came up. Finally, he stopped on one image. It was Edward's mother, and she was wearing the locket that I had purchased for Edward. His eyes fell closed and he concentrated on that image for several long seconds. When he opened his eyes again, he stared down at the locket, rubbing his thumb across its surface tenderly, as though by touching it, he could somehow touch her. I didn't know what to do or say. I looked to Alice for help.

"Edward, Bella and I had no idea, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice cracking. "We would have shown them to you sooner, had we known."

He looked up at us and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "It doesn't matter. I have them now, and I remember," he said softly. Silently, he said, _"Thank you, Bella. Your wedding gift has just given me more than you can imagine. I haven't seen my parents that clearly since I can remember. Probably since I was human."_

I went to him, and wrapped my arms around him, placing my cheek against his chest. Alice stepped over to us and hugged us both. I smiled at her and she grinned back, happy that we had finally solved our little mystery.

Aloud I said, "If you want to put those pictures back in there, Edward, you are welcome to. They are the ones that belong there."

"No," Edward said, kissing my hair, "When my mother wore it, those two pictures belonged in there. While I have it, I want you and my mother in there. I will keep these pictures someplace else."

I smiled with my face still pressed to his chest. "It's curious that your mother's locket ended up in an antique shop in Seattle," I wondered aloud.

"Yes, it is," Edward said softly.

"We are still waiting to hear back from the owner of the shop," Alice reminded me. "Maybe he will be able to solve that mystery."

"True," I said, nodding.

I was so happy for Edward. Seeing his memories of his parents flooding his mind had been a thoroughly emotional experience for both of us. I was thrilled that this was where the locket had taken us. Obviously, it was destiny for me to buy it for him. It was just another reason for me to believe that Edward and I were intended to be together forever.

After Alice left, and Edward finally released his tight embrace, he took the tiny pictures and put them on the mantle next to my portrait. He came back to me, and hugged me again.

"Thank you, Bella. You have no idea how much those memories mean to me. I've never seen those particular ones before."

"I'm just sorry it took so long for you to see those pictures, Edward."

Edward smiled and tousled my hair. "Silly Bella." I smacked his shoulder, and then took a deep breath.

"Edward, I need to get over this and go back in there with Tanya."

"If it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to, love."

"I can't hide out the entire time she is here just because she intimidates me."

"I don't know why you let her intimidate you, angel. You are the only one for me, you always have been, and you always will be," he said, kissing my forehead.

"I know, Edward. It's silly. I know."

We headed back into the great room, hand in hand. Tanya was absorbed in a conversation with Rosalie about Vera Wang's new winter line. I rolled my eyes. She didn't even look up when we entered, which I took as a good sign that maybe she was going to leave me alone. I stood next to Alice, who was talking to Irina and Kate. I looked around to see that Esme and Carmen were gone, probably in Esme's study, and Carlisle and Eleazar were also gone, probably in Carlisle's study. I could hear all of their voices, so I knew they were all still in the house. Emmett was sitting next to Rose, pretending he was interested in the conversation she was having with Tanya. Jasper was looking out a window. Edward strolled over to him, and challenged him to another game of chess. Jasper accepted, and they sat down at the chess table. I sat on Edward's knee watching for a while, but was bored with that before long.

I decided that now was as good a time as any to put my plan of action into affect for Emmett. I opened the Edcom and said to Edward in my mind, _"Make sure Emmett stays occupied for a few minutes. I'm starting my plan."_

"_Okay, love. Will do," _he replied. I could hear his chuckles in his mind but noted that he was trying to keep a straight face.

I silently crossed the great room, slipped into the kitchen, and stole out the back door. I headed immediately for Rose's garage. After I snuck inside, I had to stifle a giggle. There, hanging in the ignition, were Emmett's keys to his Escalade. _"Trusting fool left the keys in the ignition," _I said to Edward via the Edcom. I could hear his silent chuckles again, along with consideration for which move he was going to make next in his chess game.

I pushed the garage door open, being as quiet as possible. Then, I got in the Escalade, carefully not slamming the door, turned the key, and put it in neutral. I got out and steered, while I easily pushed it out of the garage. I settled back into the driver's seat, and pulled the door just to, not closing it. I didn't want Emmett to hear what was going on. I sat there silently, concentrating. I saw my hands on the steering wheel disappear and looked down. I was gone. I grinned madly as I started up the Escalade and drove it around behind the house, heading for the large clear area. I heard Emmett yell, "Who the hell is in my Escalade?" and couldn't control my giggles. I drove it out and started doing donuts out in the clearing. I saw Emmett standing outside the house, flailing his arms around, and could hear him yelling, "Who is in there? I can't see anybody driving it! What the hell is going on?"

When he started running towards it, I gunned the engine and zoomed around to the front of the house, parking it in the circle driveway. I hopped out quickly, still invisible, and stood next to the house. Emmett came charging, full speed, around the front of the house, coming to an abrupt halt when he saw the Escalade sitting there empty. I stifled my laughter as the entire family walked out the front door. Alice, in her singsong voice, said, "What's wrong, Emmett?"

Emmett could hardly speak. He kept looking at the Escalade, then back at all of them. "Where's Bella?" he bellowed.

"Reading in our bedroom," Edward said calmly. "Why?"

"Hmmphf, she is the only one not here. Who moved my Escalade and who was four-wheeling with it in the back-forty?" he said accusingly.

"Didn't you see who was driving it?" Jasper asked innocently.

"No, there wasn't anybody… driving… it," Emmett said, looking back at his vehicle. He walked over and yanked the door open, almost a little too roughly. He examined the inside carefully, pulling all the doors open and feeling around. He closed all the doors quietly and turned to glare at everyone else, who amazingly, were all looking rather serious. "Somebody knows what's going on, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it," he growled, hopping in the Escalade. He started it, and drove it back to the garage. As soon as he was gone, I darted past everyone and ran full-speed into the bedroom, grabbing a book on the way, and flopped on the bed. I allowed myself to become visible again, and silently congratulated myself for completing Step One.

I heard Emmett storming into the house and grumbling. Everyone else had gone back to what they were doing before, and were, for the most part, ignoring him. Alice had taken Rosalie aside and explained to her what was happening so she wouldn't get upset. I heard her stifling her giggles as Emmett stomped through the house. His heavy fist was knocking on the doorjamb of our study. I innocently yelled, "Yes? Who is it?" from the bedroom.

"What are you up to in there?" Emmett asked in a kind voice.

"Reading. Why?" I replied, also in a kind voice.

"I was just wondering," he mumbled, walking away.

I re-opened the Edcom and said, _"How was that for Step One?"_

"_Brilliant, love," _he responded, chuckling in his head again.

"_Good, I'm going for Step Two as soon as it gets dark."_

"_Do you need any help?"_

"_No, I just need to figure out what he did with his keys."_

"_Not to worry, love. The spare is in their bedroom, Emmett's dresser, top drawer, left hand side."_

Having a mind reader for a husband was such joy when you wanted to play a practical joke on someone else in the family. _"Thank you, baby. I'm going to have to give you a special prize for knowing that."_

"_Mmmm, I can't wait for that," _Edward replied, growling in his head.

I read for a couple of hours, waiting for it to get dark. I decided that I did not want to rejoin the family, who were still enthralled with their visit from the Denali Clan. I wasn't trying to be obstinate, I just didn't want to deal with the visitors. I hated crowds anyway. I heard Edward explaining when Kate asked where I was, that I was still having some difficulty controlling my emotions. He also said that I was a very private person, and my out of control emotions bothered me, so I was spending time by myself. I smiled to myself. Edward was so good to me.

When darkness started crawling across the land, I heard Emmett asking if anyone wanted to go hunt with him. He said he hadn't found anything that suited him the night before, and wanted to go out again. _Perfect,_ I thought. I stayed quiet, listening to see who the hunting party would consist of. Kate, Irina, and Carlisle agreed to go with him. I was sitting on the bed smirking, waiting for them to leave, when I heard Emmett's voice calling to me.

"Bella, do you need to go hunt? Some of us are going."

I was thirsty, but it wasn't bad. Besides, if I went hunting with them, I would never be able to pull off the next part of my plan. "No, Emmett. Thank you for asking. I'm doing okay. I'll go tomorrow."

"Okay," he yelled. I listened as they exited the house. As soon as they were far enough away that I couldn't hear them anymore, I hopped up and headed for the great room. Edward and Jasper were on their fifth chess game of the afternoon. I giggled at the tense look on both of their faces. Alice winked at me as I glided past everyone and headed up the stairs.

Upon entering Emmett and Rose's room, I was interested to find that there were clothes thrown everywhere. There were clothes on the bed, clothes on the floor, and the hamper was overflowing. I chuckled softly and headed for Emmett's dresser. Looking around, I noticed that all the clothes lying around were Emmett's. _Ugh, what a pig. I'll bet Rosalie just loves picking up after him. Thank goodness Edward is a neat freak. _I opened the top drawer of the dresser, and sure enough, there was the spare key to the Escalade. I snatched it, and closed the drawer carefully.

I tucked the key into the pocket of the jeans I had changed into, and headed immediately for the garage. Again, I was very quiet getting the garage door open, but this time I didn't push the Escalade out, I just went invisible, hopped in, and started it up. I pulled out and drove the other direction this time, towards the front of the house. I looked around, and decided to park it close to the water. I drove a ways and parked it, locking it up carefully. I was on my way back to the house when I heard Emmett running towards the Escalade. I got out of the way quickly, thankful that I had remained invisible.

"What the fuck is going on around here?" he was screaming. I put my hand over my mouth, hoping he didn't hear my gasp as I had tried to stifle my giggle. Kate, Irina, and Carlisle were behind him, but not moving nearly as fast. They all stopped when they saw what he was screeching about. A smile of recognition crossed Carlisle's lips briefly, but he quickly wiped it away.

"What's wrong, son?" Carlisle said.

"Somebody is fucking with my Escalade!" Emmett roared.

"Now, Emmett. There is no need for that kind of language," Carlisle said calmly. I was having to concentrate hard to maintain my invisibility. I glanced over towards the house and saw Edward, Jasper, and Alice standing on the porch, all of them with huge grins plastered on their face.

"I'll use whatever kind of language I want to! I want to know who has been messing with my CAR!" Emmett got in the Escalade and tore back to the garage. Carlisle, Irina, and Kate followed him. Carlisle and Emmett argued briefly because Emmett wanted to stay with his car. I giggled softly, waiting for the outcome. Carlisle finally convinced him everything would be fine and they left.

I went back in the house and silently made my way back to Emmett and Rose's room, leaving the spare key exactly where I had found it in his drawer. I knew he would look as soon as he got back. When I was done, I made my way back down to Edward's and my bedroom, and let my invisibility go. Edward walked in behind me and spun me around, laughing. "You've got him so damn mad, Bella. You are a genius!" he said, still laughing.

I laughed too, and we went back to the great room together, waiting for Emmett to come back. Edward and Jasper had finished their chess game, and everyone was sort of sitting around. Alice spoke up and said, "Who wants to play Wii?" Everyone consented and we all decided to take turns playing "Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop" and kill zombies.

Emmett returned before the rest of his hunting party. When he walked in, he glared around the room. Everyone ignored him. "I'm going up to my room," he announced. No one even looked up, except Rose.

"Do you want me to come up with you?" Rose asked.

"Only if you want to," Emmett grumbled.

Rose smirked at me, and followed Emmett up the stairs. I excused myself to my room politely and waited. When enough time had passed and I heard Emmett settling down, I started concentrating on being invisible again. Silently, I left my room and headed up the stairs. I noticed, as I made my way to their room, that Rose had left the door cracked open. I smiled. This was going to be good.

I stood outside the door, listening to what was going on. I could tell that Emmett was lying on the bed, and Rosalie was talking to him from the bathroom. _Perfect._ I slipped in silently at vampire speed, pushing the door back to its original position. Emmett's eyes darted over to the door briefly. An odd look crossed his face, but he apparently dismissed whatever he was thinking and went back to watching Rose, who was brushing her hair in the bathroom. I stood stock still when Rose emerged from the bathroom. She looked around and said, "Geez, Em, can't you pick up after yourself?" She turned her back to him and grinned. "I'm going over to borrow something from Alice's bathroom. I'll be back." Rosalie walked out of the room, and I saw her shoulders shaking. I could tell she was having a hard time keeping her laughter under control. As soon as she was gone, I put the next part of my plan into action.

Stealthily, I picked up an article of Emmett's clothing off the floor while he was looking the other way. I tossed it across the room so that it landed squarely on his head.

"What the…?" he said, yanking it off. He started looking wildly around the room. "Rose?" he said. Quickly, I started picking up all of his clothes and throwing them at him. He jumped up and started fighting through the barrage of clothing that was coming after him. I nearly had to bite through my lip to keep from laughing.

"Who's there? What's going on? Leave me alone!" he screamed. He started throwing the clothes around, which just made me throw more at him. I was moving at vampire speed around the room so that when he volleyed them back, he missed me. I picked up a big armful of clothes and threw them all as hard as I could at his head. He stumbled for a second and ran out of the room screaming, "This house is haunted or something!" I heard Rose's stifled laughter coming from Alice's room.

I quickly grabbed Emmett's spare key again and headed for the garage. He was in the living room ranting and raving that a ghost had attacked him in his bedroom. The looks on everyone's faces were priceless. I tried to ignore them as best I could, and slipped out the back door. I went to the garage and threw open the door. I jumped in the Escalade and started it up. I backed out and tore down the road. I heard Rosalie say, "Well, I don't know, Emmett, but it seems to drive itself better than you drive it."

I couldn't stop my laughter. I knew that Emmett was following me, so I slowed to let him catch up. Just as he reached the side of the car and could see there was no one in the driver's seat, I gunned it. The speedometer topped 120 mph and I saw Emmett coming behind me, cursing as loud as he could. I slowed immediately, letting him catch up again. I watched as he reached out for the driver's door, screaming, "Who the fuck is in there? Show yourself damn it!" I giggled silently and stomped on the gas pedal again, leaving him in a cloud of dust. I heard him swear loudly again as I sped away into the night. He didn't give chase any longer, so I put Step Three of the plan into action. I opened the Edcom, and just as planned, Edward was in the woods, running to catch me. As soon as I noted Emmett tearing back towards the house at top speed, I slowed down slightly, looking for the road where I was supposed to turn off. I glanced back at Emmett again, and he was out of my sight, so I turned on the road, drove in about a mile, and waited for Edward.

I remained alert to my surroundings, knowing that I was much closer to town than I had ever been, and I didn't want to accidentally come across a human while executing my plan. This was the reason for Edward meeting me. When he got there, he jumped in the passenger side and yelled, "Go!" We were both laughing hysterically, talking about how panicked Emmett was when he reached the side of the vehicle and could not see anyone driving.

We drove up into the mountains surrounding the house, and on land that we owned, there was a large cave entrance. The Escalade fit perfectly inside. After it was securely in, we covered the entrance with rocks. Edward and I high-fived each other, and raced back down to the house. Along the way, we came across some deer, and stopped for a quick snack. I made sure to get some blood on my shirt so that Emmett wouldn't question where I had been.

Arriving back at the house was a hoot. We walked into the back door to the sound of Carlisle yelling, "No we can't call the police and report your Escalade stolen, Emmett! They will ask too many questions that we are not prepared to answer!"

"But, Carlisle, I love that car!" Emmett yelped.

"What's going on?" Edward asked in an authoritative tone.

"Some fucking _ghost_ stole my fucking Escalade!" Emmett howled.

I had a really tough time keeping a straight face. I cleared my throat, and then said, "What do you mean 'a ghost', Emmett?"

He looked at me with rage in his eyes, fists clenched, and roared, "There was nobody driving! A ghost attacked me upstairs in my room, and then went out, got in my Escalade, and tore away in it!"

"Oh," I said, feigning shock.

Emmett turned on Alice and yelled, "What have you seen, baby sister? What's going on? Where is my car?"

Alice looked the perfect picture of horrified at his accusation. "I haven't _seen _anything, Emmett," she spat.

Rosalie approached him, and was trying to calm him, but kept her face turned away from him. She was having a terrible time keeping her grin under control.

I silently wondered if I was taking my revenge too far. I looked over at Alice, who smiled at me. She knew that things were going to be okay, for now. Rosalie finally got Emmett calmed down, and took him upstairs. I hoped he would not look for the spare key this time and listened carefully. He didn't.

There was some talk from a few people who did not know what was going on wondering what was happening to Emmett, and why everything that had happened had seemed to be aimed solely at him. The rest of us, who were in the know, remained silent about the goings on. Later on in the night, Edward and I retired to our bedroom. We made love quietly, using our silent communication to share our bliss. When we had finished, we laid in each other's arms silently, just enjoying being together.

The next morning, we got up and showered, then presented ourselves to the rest of the family. Emmett was rather subdued, having looked for his Escalade most of the night. The first of the "missing" signs caught me off guard. I had walked into the kitchen to greet Esme and Carlisle who were sitting at the table reading the morning news. On one of the cabinets was a paper that had a picture of Emmett's Escalade. The caption said, "Have you seen me?"

I stifled a giggle and turned quickly to look at Carlisle and Esme who were still reading their papers, but both of them were smiling. "Good morning," I said. They both greeted me, and went back to their papers.

I went back to the great room, and noticed another of the flyers hanging on the front door. As I walked through the house, I noted that they were everywhere. I couldn't help but laugh. I called up to Emmett, "So, are the flyers working, Emmett? Did you find your car yet?"

Emmett stood at the top of the stairs, glaring. "No I didn't find my damn car yet, Bella, what are you talking about?"

I shrugged and said, "Oh, never mind," and walked off. I went to the dining room where Alice, Rosalie, Irina, Kate, and Tanya were playing cards. I pulled up a chair and watched them briefly until the sound of Emmett yelling again pulled all of our attention away.

"NOT COOL!" he screamed, ripping the flyers off the wall. He stormed into the dining room and glared at all of us. We were, of course, all laughing hysterically. He held one of the flyers wadded in his hand. "Which one of you did this?"

We all looked at each other and shrugged. Alice suggested, "Maybe it was your ghost, Emmett," and we all broke out into fresh laughter.

"You guys think you are so funny, don't you? Just wait until your Porsche disappears, Alice, then you won't be laughing!"

Emmett stomped out of the room with our laughter ringing through the air. Once we had all calmed ourselves down, the girls started playing cards again. I excused myself and wandered out to the great room again.

I found Emmett sitting in front of the television pouting. He was watching some sort of sports event. _Ugh. ESPN again._ Edward and Jasper were up in Jasper's study. As near as I could tell, they were buying stocks or something. I decided this was a good opportunity to put some more pressure on Emmett. I went into my study and made a lot of noise on purpose. Then, I went into the bedroom and made a production of closing the doors and flopping on the bed. I shook my book around for a few minutes so that he would think I was reading. Finally, I quieted down and listened. I could still hear the sounds of the television, even though Emmett had the sound extremely low. I stood up quietly, and willed myself invisible again. It was getting easier each time, and I was proud of myself. I found that it was much like a bubble, and I could choose to pull things into it with me, or leave them outside the bubble. If I left them outside, they did not turn invisible with me.

Having figured that out, I silently left the bedroom, walked through the study, and arrived in the great room staring at the back of Emmett's head. He was still absorbed in the television, and did not even flinch when I entered. I walked up behind him silently and stood there for a moment, waiting to see if he would notice. Not one muscle flexed. I grinned, and headed up to Emmett and Rosalie's room.

I looked around to see that Emmett's clothing had all been picked up. I wondered if Rosalie had made him do it, and giggled silently. I looked around for something that I thought would work for what I was planning next. I couldn't find anything that suited me, so I picked up a pair of Emmett's Adidas and walked out to the balcony overlooking the great room. Emmett was still staring at the television. I took aim, and chucked one of the shoes at him, hitting him squarely in the back of the head.

Emmett flew off the couch and looked around the room wildly screaming, "Ow! What was… Shit! Rosalie! Carlisle! EDWARD, JASPER, ALICE, BELLA! Come HERE!"

Just as the entire family arrived to the sounds of his screaming, including those who were visiting, I chucked the other shoe and hit him in the chest. It knocked him backwards and he fell over the back of the couch, still squealing like a girl. I ran down the stairs at full speed and rushed into my study. As soon as I was out of sight, I let my invisibility go, and turned around to walk back in the great room. What a sight to behold it was when I entered.

There was pandemonium. Emmett was freaking out completely. All of the Denali family was laughing. Esme, Alice, and Rosalie were also in stitches. Emmett was indignant that Rosalie was laughing at him. Edward and Jasper were trying to reason with him, but it wasn't working. Carlisle was standing around with his arms crossed suppressing a smile. I walked over to where Jasper and Edward were trying to reason with Emmett and blinked innocently.

"What's happening?"

"It's alright, love. Emmett just had another close encounter." New gales of laughter filled the room.

"Oh, are you alright, Emmett? What happened?"

"WHATEVER, or WHOEVER is after me just chucked my new pair of Adidas at me. One of them hit me so hard it knocked me over the couch. ME! And all of these insensitive asses are LAUGHING!"

I stifled my giggle. I wasn't quite ready to give up yet. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Emmett," I said apologetically. I walked through all the people to get lost in the crowd, and headed for the kitchen. _Time for the Grand Finale._

I incited my invisibility again, and carefully slipped past everyone in the great room. I headed for the cabinet that held Emmett's most prized possessions beyond his Escalade, his video games. I reached in, and picked out his three favorites, making sure to keep them outside my bubble. I positioned myself close to the door so I could run when he chased me, and started juggling them. I waited for someone to notice. I noticed that it was rather easy for me to juggle, and thought how great it was that I could do that now. As a human, I would have knocked myself out already.

Rosalie noticed first and smirked at Emmett. "It looks like your _ghost _wants to play video games with you Emmett."

"Wha… what?!" Emmett exclaimed, turning towards me.

The entire room burst into another round of uncontrollable laughter as I juggled the games over my head. Emmett started for me, and just as he lunged, I jumped over him, landing close to Edward who was laughing harder than I had ever seen. Emmett was cursing and scrambling to get back up. I eyed him carefully as he lunged for me again. I jumped over him again and headed for the door. Emmett was enraged. As soon as I saw him coming for me, I threw the video games in the air, threw the door open, and ran. Hard. Emmett was chasing me and screaming with the rest of the family in hot pursuit. Edward passed Emmett and I stopped in the middle of the open field behind the house. I turned around, and let my invisibility go, becoming fully visible right before Emmett's eyes.

Several things happened at once. Edward grabbed Emmett to keep him from tackling me. Emmett tried, unsuccessfully, to stop when he saw me. The rest of the family laughed loudly as they all ran towards us and I jumped as high as I could, avoiding being crashed into by Emmett, Edward, and now Jasper who had also grabbed Emmett to avoid the crash. I did a somersault in the air before I landed gracefully in front of the rest of the family.

Emmett stared at me from the ground. I smirked at him, but said nothing. He looked from me to Edward, and then the rest of the family. "You?" he said, amazed.

I nodded proudly and said, "Yup, it was me."

"How did you… do that?"

I walked over to him and took his hand, helping him to his feet. "I'm not going to tell you _how_ I did it, Emmett, but I am going to tell you this. If you ever even think about embarrassing me, Edward, or both of us, like you did the other day, again, I want you to remember the last two days and know that I can become invisible anytime, anywhere, and I'm not afraid to use my power to get you back. I am not mad at you anymore because once you think about this, you are going to be embarrassed enough about your behavior to be truly sorry for acting like an ass the other day. I will tell you now, that I am as sorry as I am ever going to be about this whole thing, and that is not very much, because, big brother, I owed you, big." I grinned widely at him at the end of my lecture and waited for his response.

At first, he looked like he couldn't figure out how to feel. He wanted to be mad, but he knew he couldn't. He knew that he deserved it. I opened my connection to Edward to see what Emmett was thinking. Edward said silently, "_Nice job, love. I could not have done better myself."_

"_Thank you," _I replied. I listened to Emmett briefly. He was incredulous that his little sister had gotten one over on him like this, and was contemplating revenge.

"I don't think so, Emmett," I said, wagging my finger at him. "We're even now."

"Damn it! You can read my mind now too?!"

"No, but I can read Edward's, so don't even think about it."

Finally, Emmett stepped over to me, grabbed me up in a big bear hug, swung me around, and said, "Little sis, you are a force to be reckoned with. I'm sorry for acting like an ass." He put me back on the ground and said, "Where's my Escalade?"

**_End Notes: So? What did you think? Did Bella do a good enough job of getting her revenge on Emmett? Let us know what you think! Edward and I are waiting! And we'll see you all at the Lillie Cullen Theater in Houston, Texas in the VIP Lounge for the NCB Show!_**


	22. Chapter 22 Epiphany

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own anything Twilight except the books, two copies, the audiobooks, the Soundtrack, a movie poster, a calendar, and this story.

**_A/N My readers are the BEST. Thank you so much for all the reveiws, favorite adds, community adds, and mostly for reading. I love you all. RL has been kicking my butt this week so this chapter is late, but I don't think you will mind after you read. It didn't go in the direction I expected it to, but Edward wrote it, and he took it where he wanted it to go. I can't wait to hear what you think. Less than 400 reviews to go until Edward's next surprise for all the readers..._**

**_Lillie...Thank you. There are not words for what you mean to me. This chapter is for you bb._**

_**Edward**_

Bella's plan for Emmett's revenge had gone off without a hitch, and had definitely had the desired effect. Emmett had nothing but respect for his sister now, which was just the way she liked it. Sure, he would still tease her, but he wouldn't try to push her anymore. I could tell from his thoughts that he feared that his "ghost" would come back. He had been quite disconcerted regarding the thought of a ghost in the house, and then appalled at his genuine fear that some type of 'entity' was attacking him, and only him. Bella held her ground and did not truly apologize to him. She wanted him to sweat it out for a while, besides the fact that every time she thought about it, she guffawed.

Bella had led Emmett back to his Escalade in the most hysterical fashion. She refused to just tell him where it was. She told him she would take him there. They set off just minutes after she had revealed herself in the clearing. She had invited anyone along that wanted to go, and we were quite an entourage heading up the mountain to find the cave where we had carefully stashed his Escalade.

Bella went slowly, adding greatly to Emmett's irritation. I knew full well that she knew exactly how to get there. She and I had been there a couple of times before we stashed Emmett's car there. I had to laugh at her when she led us all five miles in one direction, and then played the 'dumb female' card. She looked at Emmett and batted her eyelashes. "You know, Emmett, I don't think this is the right direction," she said innocently. "Hmmm… now, which way did I go?" she wondered aloud, looking in every direction. I chuckled loudly and Emmett glared at me.

"What are you laughing at, Eddie?"

"I'm simply amused, Emmett."

"Yeah, right," he grumbled back at me. I smiled my widest smile at him, and he turned his back on me now realizing that I was in on the joke too. _"If I find out who made up those flyers…_" he was thinking. I stifled a laugh.

"Oh wait, it's this way," Bella said, pointing, again in the wrong direction. I had to clear my throat to keep from laughing again. I made a mental note not to ever anger this woman. She was vindictive as hell!

"_I heard that, Cullen,"_ came her voice in my head. I smiled innocently at her.

"_Just another reason why I love you so, MRS. Cullen," _I replied silently.

"_Did you hear the pop that time?"_

I thought about this briefly. Had I heard the pop? I decidedly had not. I wondered what that meant. Maybe something else had caused the pop? Surely not.

"_No, Bella. I didn't hear the pop this time. Did you do something differently?" _

She just smiled knowingly and replied, _"I simply figured out what caused the pop, and didn't do it this time."_

I raised my eyebrows at her and smiled. Not only is she vindictive, she is clever, intelligent, funny, beautiful, and all mine.

"_Thank you, Edward."_ She smiled demurely at me as she answered me silently.

I could not help but smile back at my beautiful Bella. She was more than I had ever even hoped or bargained for. I walked along behind her, watching her move. Her movement was graceful and cat-like as she glided through the woods. I enjoyed watching her muscles flex as she elegantly made her way past the trees, over the rocks, and through the underbrush.

After several miles of walking at a human pace, she stopped. Emmett had been quiet the entire time, but his mind was racing. He thought that she had truly lost his precious Escalade. I couldn't help but smirk. She knew exactly where she was going, but she didn't want to give in to Emmett just yet.

"Emmett, I'm sorry, I seem to have lost my sense of direction," she said, looking perplexed.

Emmett was more than just a little irritated. "Seriously, Bella, did you lose my Escalade?"

"No, I didn't lose it… exactly." She looked around in every direction again.

"Well, which way did you come in from?"

She shrugged. "I don't really remember. It was dark."

"Bella, you're a vampire. You can see in the dark just as well, if not better, than you can in the daylight. Please tell me you are still messing with me."

Bella turned to him and grinned. "Yes, Emmett. I am messing with you. I just wondered how long it was going to take you to get the gumption to ask me about it. Your Escalade is over here. Let's go get it!"

She turned and ran in the direction of the Escalade, fast. I winked at Emmett and took off after her, knowing if we let her get too far ahead, we would never catch her. Emmett trailed behind me, running more slowly. Bella's laughter floated through the air and washed over me as I ran behind her. I was utterly astounded by her beauty and grace.

She stopped about a half mile short of the cave that the Escalade was in, and turned on Emmett, who skidded to a stop in front of her. "Don't tell me you are 'lost' again."

"No, I'm not lost, Emmett. I just want to make sure that you understand something. It's not that I don't want you to tease me anymore, because that just wouldn't be you. Your behavior the other day was reprehensible, Emmett. I know that you are sorry, but please promise that you won't ever humiliate Edward and me like that ever again. We are newlyweds, Emmett. We are still learning each other and it is even more difficult now, with my change, for us to know what to expect. I know that initially you thought we were fighting, but once you saw that we were not, you should have left. Edward has never imposed upon you and Rose in such a manner and I would never do something like that either."

Emmett looked down and kicked at a small rock on the ground. His shoulders hunched before he looked back up and said, "I know, Bella, Edward. I'm sorry. I really am. I don't know what came over me. Forgive me, please?"

I stepped over to him first and shook his hand. I then grabbed him and hugged him. He bear-hugged me back. Bella then threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. She pointed at the cave that contained Emmett's precious Escalade, and sent him running at top speed for it.

The rest of our entourage had been quietly following along, talking amongst themselves. Once Emmett finally had his precious vehicle back and was tearing towards the house at break-neck speed, everyone started to disperse. Alice, Bella, and Rosalie were walking down the mountain, arm-in-arm, talking and I hung back to watch and admire Bella some more. I was standing against a tree watching her when Tanya's thoughts intruded in my mind.

"_Damn, Cullen. You look sexy as hell standing there against that tree."_

I spun around and she was sitting on a rock a thousand feet from me. I glanced back down towards Bella, who was still walking with Rose and Alice. I turned and strode across the small clearing towards Tanya, who was smirking at me.

"What is it exactly that you want, Tanya?" I asked in a low voice.

She looked bored and irritated all at the same time. She was blocking me now by reciting, of all things, Lady Chatterley's Lover. She stood and stepped over to me. She placed her hand on my chest, and walked in a circle around me, dragging her hand across my chest, my arm, my back, and then lingering on my left arm before she withdrew it. I glared at her.

"What I want, Edward," she said, slowly and deliberately, "should be fairly obvious to you. It's something that I have wanted since I have known you, yet you have continually rejected me, and that is something that I don't deal with very well." She raised an eyebrow at me, and continued, "I know that at one time you were concerned about your chastity, but your chastity is now gone, Edward, and I want you now more than I ever have. Not only that, I intend to have you." Her face broke into a smirk and she stepped closer to me, our bodies almost touching. She reached up and grabbed the back of my head in an attempt to pull my mouth onto her open one. I took a step backwards and put my hand in front of my face.

"What do you think you're doing? I'm married to Bella, Tanya. I have no more desire for your body than I ever have. In fact, I have less. I don't know what you're playing at, but you have been antagonizing Bella since you arrived, and if you don't stop, I'm going to have to ask you to leave our home." I crossed my arms in front of my chest and watched her for signs of understanding, but she apparently was not going to be that easily swayed.

She stepped close to me again and I protested, trying to step away, but she reached up and wound both hands in my hair and forcefully pulled my face to hers, latching her lips onto mine. I struggled for a second to get away from her death grip, and finally decided it was time to stop being a gentleman. I put one hand on each of her shoulders and shoved her to the ground.

"Tanya, you are going to have to learn to take no for an answer. Just because I'm the only man you have ever wanted and couldn't have does not give you the right to keep trying even after I am married to someone else!" I was angry now, and my voice was rising. I knew that the rest of the family would probably be able to hear me down the mountain, including Bella, but I didn't care anymore about letting Tanya down gently. "I love Bella, she is my life, and I don't want anyone else, especially YOU!"

I turned and ran down the mountain at top speed, not waiting to hear her reaction. I ignored her mind by clearing mine and thinking of nothing but getting back to Bella. Bella was going to be furious. I would have to figure out how to explain to her without her ripping Tanya to shreds in the family living room. I didn't have to wait long. As I streaked down the mountain, I saw Bella at the bottom, turned towards my position. Rosalie and Alice were both holding onto her and she was shrieking. This was going to turn out badly.

I grabbed her as soon as I arrived and held her close to me. She was shaking with anger and sobbing. "Why is she doing this to us, Edward?" she asked, her voice quavering with the tears that she could not cry.

Alice shot up the mountain to catch Tanya, who was chasing me. Rosalie stood next to Bella and rubbed her back, trying to soothe her, while I held her.

"Shhh, Bella. It's alright now, love. Please don't be angry with me. I confronted her to try to make her stop. I don't want her, Bella. I only want you."

Bella was inconsolable. She nearly collapsed in my arms. I noted that we went invisible, and became visible again, more than a few times. I looked to Rosalie, who shook her head and shrugged her shoulders slightly. Her eyes were wide. _I don't know what to do, Edward. Tanya is coming, and if she makes it down here, Bella is going to tear her apart._

I picked Bella up, and carried her bridal style towards the house, running as fast as I could. Rosalie followed, but veered off towards the garage when she approached the house. I heard her yelling at Emmett to get outside and help. Bella started shrieking again. I glanced back and saw that Tanya was running across the clearing behind the house with Alice hot on her heels. I was fed up. I stopped suddenly and spun on my heel. Tanya skidded to a stop a few feet away. _Look how weak she is, Edward. How could you possibly want someone so weak? She is a vampire now, she can take care of herself. Let her go and come home with me._

I growled a long, low growl that came from the depths of my chest. I was struggling to hold on to Bella, who was still, quite obviously, stronger than I was. Emmett came blasting around the corner of the house and let out a low whistle when he saw what was unfolding in front of him. I'm sure it was quite a spectacle. The rest of both ours and Tanya's families were filing out of the house to see what the uproar was. Alice was stamping her foot and yelling at Tanya to stop and listen to her. Carlisle and Eleazar, the two family patriarchs, stepped between us.

"Edward? What's going on here?"

"Ask _her, _Carlisle. She is the one creating the problems."

Carlisle looked at Tanya, who put on her most innocent look. "Edward shoved me down on top of the mountain, Carlisle. I simply will not stand to be treated that way."

I growled again. Tanya's voice was in my head saying, _"You are not dragging our families into this, Cullen, and I'm NOT finished with you."_

Bella, who had opened our connection so she could listen in, flew out of my arms. She sailed over Carlisle and Eleazar landing directly behind Tanya. She grabbed Tanya and forced her to the ground with a resounding "thud." I crossed my arms and stood there. I wasn't about to stop her. Carlisle walked over and put his hand on Bella's shoulder. "Bella, I think we can handle this without violence, honey, come on back over here with Edward."

Bella growled and snapped her teeth within a half inch of Carlisle's hand. Carlisle snatched his hand backwards and turned to Emmett, Jasper, and me looking exasperated. Emmett, of course, was egging her on. "Cat fight! Go, Bella, go! Put your knees on her elbows, Bella, that's it! Now ball up your fist and punch her in the face, Bella!"

"Emmett!"

"Sorry, man, that slut deserves it!"

Emmett!" This time it was Carlisle, not me. I wasn't going to say anything else. As far as I was concerned Emmett was right, Tanya had asked for it, and she deserved everything she got. Bella was pounding the hell out of her, too. They were rolling around on the ground. When Bella started snapping her teeth and biting Tanya was when Jasper finally intervened. He sent a wave of calm over all of us that would have put any human within a ten mile radius into a coma. Bella slammed Tanya's head against the ground once more before standing up and smoothing out her clothes.

As an afterthought, she kicked some dirt on Tanya's face and screamed, "Leave _my _husband _alone_, bitch!"

Bella came storming past me and grabbed my arm on the way by. I followed her in the house and as soon as the door to our study was closed, I shredded every piece of clothing she was wearing. I pounced on her, letting my instinct drive. I knew that Bella needed my reassurance, and I, in turn, needed to give it to her. Bella responded by arching into me and shredding my clothes. Our lips were pressed together and our tongues entangled. I pulled back slightly and sucked on her lower lip, sending shivers through her body. We rolled and tumbled around on the floor, snarling, growling, and screeching in the most primal of ways.

Bella fisted her hands in my hair just as my length found its objective and slammed into her to the hilt. I marveled, once again, at how tight and wet she was and how glorious it felt to be fully sheathed inside of her. Our hips crashed together time and again and each time we both groaned with the pleasure. Bella's legs were wrapped around me tightly, pulling me to her with each stroke. She was kissing me with unadulterated passion.

"Oh, Bella, oh my God, _fuck…_" My eyes widened and I stared down at her face, wondering what her reaction would be to my utterances, but she didn't seem to care. In fact, she responded almost immediately.

"Oh yes, Edward, fuck me hard…"

Those six words sent me into a frenzy. I grabbed her arms and forced them to the floor, pounding against her as hard as I could. She started screaming louder than I had ever heard her. She was growling and screaming, meeting every one of my vampire speed thrusts by arching her back and thrusting against me.

Even in my instinctual state, I heard the argument going on outside the house. Things were deteriorating rapidly out there but I decided it didn't matter. Bella was the only thing important to me. I also knew that Tanya could hear everything that we were doing and saying, and it gave me the utmost satisfaction to have her hear it.

Bella's muscles all started to tense. I knew that she was on the brink and I slowed just slightly, rolling my hips with my thrusts. She moaned loudly, and her walls clamped down on me. A low growl erupted from my chest while Bella screamed, "Mine!" in a tone that shattered the windows of the whole house. I didn't have time to worry about that because her one word sent me over the edge. I clung to her hands as my release rushed out of me and splashed against her walls. I pumped a few more times, growling with each movement. Bella was panting beneath me, watching me with desire swirling in her deep red eyes.

When my climax was complete, I collapsed on top of her, trying to make every inch of my skin touch her somewhere. I released her arms and her fingers tangled in my hair. She kissed my hair, my face, and my lips with wild abandon.

I raised my head and leaned on my elbow. My free hand traced patterns on her chest while I watched her. Her hand was on my face now, and she was caressing my cheek. I still felt electricity every time she touched me, and this was no different. "I love you, Bella," I whispered.

She searched my face for a moment, taking in my features. I put as much of my feeling into my expression as I could, wanting her to see all of my love in my eyes.

Finally, she whispered back, "I love you, too, Edward, forever."

"Forever," I agreed with a hint of my crooked smile. She rewarded me with a smile of her own that lit up her entire face. I put my arms around her and pulled her over on top of me. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feel of her skin against mine, her weight, slight as it may be, pressed to my body. Her chestnut hair fanned around her head and covered my chest and arms. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of her strawberry shampoo. Her scent was intoxicating, even now.

Above us, Alice's shriek yanked me from my reverie. Her vision invaded my mind and I tensed immediately. My cold heart sunk in my chest. Bella had raised her head, but didn't speak. I knew she had opened her connection and was watching Alice's vision too. Her eyes were wide and her face reflected her horror.

We both jumped up at once, tearing into our bedroom to dress at vampire speed, and then we raced up the stairs. We burst into Alice and Jasper's room to find Alice sitting on the floor in the corner. Jasper was at her side. Rosalie, Esme, Carlisle, and Emmett followed us in.

"What is it, Edward? What did she see?" Emmett asked with concern.

"They're coming. Now," I said softly.

The room was silent except for Alice's sobbing in the corner. She was rocking back and forth crying, "No, no, no…" Bella went to her and kneeled next to her.

"It's okay, Alice," she crooned. "They want me, not you."

Alice looked up at her, horrified. "They want us all!" she squealed. She looked at each of us, and her eyes fell on Carlisle, who was silently contemplating what this would mean.

"Carlisle, they were just waiting for Bella to be changed. They have decided that your 'coven' is getting too large and powerful. They are going to try to force us all to join them. If we refuse…"

"I can guess," Carlisle interrupted. He turned and left to talk to Eleazar. He wanted advice. Jasper and I followed him silently, leaving Alice with Rosalie, Bella, and Esme, as Emmett, too, headed down the stairs.

We all arrived in the dining room and took our places at the table. Carlisle asked Eleazar, who was still outside with Tanya, to join us. Eleazar arrived at the table looking grave. He addressed me directly saying, "Edward, I apologize for Tanya's behavior. It has made everyone uncomfortable and has caused a rift between our families. She is leaving."

I was miserable when I said, "Maybe this isn't the best time for her to leave, Eleazar. Please listen to what Carlisle has to say before she goes and then let her decide." I shrank back in my chair, not believing that I had just asked Tanya to stay. I knew that we might need the extra help, depending upon what we decided to do. I didn't want her there, but I also didn't want us to face this alone. In Alice's vision, the Denalis were there, helping us.

Eleazar took his seat and Carlisle said, "Eleazar, we need some advice. Alice has just had a vision. The Volturi have decided to visit us." He glanced at me before he continued, "They knew that Bella's change would take place shortly after Bella and Edward arrived home from their honeymoon. Apparently, they have decided that my 'coven' is now too large. They intend to break our family apart, or force all of us to join them. Edward, do you have anything to add?"

"They are going to use force. They are not interested in talking or negotiating. All of them are coming, and they are coming here. Aro wants to see what abilities Bella has, if any, and regardless of that, they intend to make us all join them, or kill us if we refuse."

Eleazar looked thoughtful for a moment. "Will you all excuse me while I go speak with my family?"

We all nodded our assent and Eleazar hurried out, the back door slamming behind him. I stared at the table and listened to the minds of each of my family members.

Emmett was ready for a good fight, but was concerned for the welfare of his family. Jasper was going over what he knew of the Volturi and their abilities, already working out weaknesses in their armor. Carlisle was trying to figure out how to get Aro, Caius, and Marcus to talk to him as friends and listen to what he had to say, rather than just attacking us. Upstairs, Alice was finally starting to calm. Esme and Rosalie were afraid of what was going to happen to their family, but were concerned mostly about Alice and Bella. What no one was saying, but was in all of their minds, was that Bella was going to be the Volturi's number one conquest. Her ability would be invaluable to them, and they would want to train her now, while she was a newborn. I pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose. _How am I going to protect Bella from this?_

"_You don't have to protect me from it, Edward. Just stand by me, teach me, and help me."_

"_I don't mind telling you that I am afraid, Bella. I'm afraid for you, and I'm afraid for all of us. I don't want our family to be split apart, or worse."_

"_I'm afraid as well, but if we all stand together, our love will overcome whatever they have in store for us."_

A thought fluttered through Carlisle's mind about the wolves. I glanced over at him. He looked directly at me.

"_Do you think the wolves would help us, Edward?"_

I started to answer, when Bella's voice in my mind stopped me. _"You know they would, Edward. And we are going to need all the help we can get."_

I nodded to Carlisle and said, "Perhaps, if the circumstance were to their benefit." I was thinking about the vampires that would be allowed to run rampant over the Pacific Northwest with us out of the way. We had kept the area relatively free of other vampires for many years, save for James' group and Victoria's wild group of newborns. When friends came to visit us, we had always insisted they go elsewhere to hunt. We wanted to maintain our lifestyle of fitting in with the humans. We all preferred it that way. Vampires who knew us, far and wide, knew of our lifestyle and knew that we claimed that territory as ours. They tended to give most of the Pacific Northwest, Western Canada, and Alaska a wide berth between us and the Denali family.

"_You see, Edward. This is something that can be negotiated. I think you should call Sam."_

"_Let's see what the Denali family has to say first, Bella. We don't want to offend anyone."_

I could almost hear Bella rolling her eyes in my mind. I heard her go back to talking to Alice, trying to get her mind off the vision. She did not cut our connection so I knew that she was going to be listening in on our conversation. I found that I didn't mind. It would save me having to repeat it to her when we were done.

Eleazar reentered the room, with all of the women of his family behind him. "We will stay. We want to help you. If they do this to you, they could do it to us as well. We don't want that. What do you need us to do?"

I looked up and directed my glare at Tanya. "You are staying as well?"

She looked down at her hands folded in front of her. "Yes, Edward. I would like to stay and help. I'm… I… there's no excuse. I'm sorry."

I heard Bella's mental growl as I said, "I accept your apology, Tanya, but I will not tolerate that kind of behavior again. Next time I will let Bella rip you apart."

Tanya nodded, still not making eye contact. I turned my attention back to everyone else. Carmen, Kate, and Irina filed out and headed for Alice's bedroom. Carlisle looked around and said, "We need to decide how we are going to handle this. I would like to call the Quileute, if no one has any objections, and see if they would be interested in helping us."

"Do you think that wise, Carlisle? They don't like us any more than they would like the Volturi do they?"

"Well, Eleazar, I think that we have somewhat of an advantage there. We have Bella. They all think a great deal of Bella and her father. I believe that they will want to protect them, if nothing else. I am not ashamed to ask for their assistance. We would help them if they asked us to."

"Alright then, who else?"

Very quietly, Jasper said, "We will need more than just the thirteen of us and the wolves. We are going to need more vampires to stand with us. There are vampires all over the world that are tired of the Volturi pushing them around. The only reason the Volturi are afraid of our size is that we are second in size only to them. This is not about Bella, her abilities, or any of the rest of it. This is an attempt to maintain power and control. They will not fight fair. We are going to need additional help. How long do we have?"

Everyone looked at me expectantly, knowing that I had seen Alice's vision. I didn't want to tell them what I knew to be true. We didn't have nearly as long as we needed. I watched Jasper's face when I said, "Somewhere between three and four weeks. They will travel from Italy by ship. They do not like to travel by air, but prefer the old ways. They will travel the rest of the way by land, stopping during the day, traveling by night."

Jasper's eyebrows knitted together and he was thinking over about a thousand things all at once. Carlisle queried him, "What are you thinking, Jasper. Tell us what we need to do. This is your area of expertise."

"We need to make contact with every coven and nomad that we know to see if anyone else is interested in coming to our aid. It will be difficult. Not many of them carry cell phones like we do. Some of us are going to have to leave for a few days. Edward? Bella is doing very well, do you think you can handle her alone for a few days?"

_What is he, nuts? HELL YES!_

"Yes, Jasper, I think I can handle her," I said, smirking.

"You will have to teach her to fight, Edward. If her attack on Tanya was any indication," Tanya winced, "she needs a lot of instruction. Also, I would not put it past the Volturi to bring some humans along. My guess would be that they will bring along a human or two to tempt her. They will be aware that we are teaching her our way of life and that we are probably not exposing her to humans yet. You need to expose her again and see how she does. Make sure she feeds daily, maybe twice a day, before they get here, and before you expose her. I'm afraid that Bella is going to have to have an intensive course on suppressing her human bloodlust and it isn't going to be easy for her."

I considered Jasper's words carefully and knew that he was right. Handling her on my own might actually be more difficult than I had previously thought. Rosalie walked in the dining room, announcing in her thoughts, and aloud, "Emmett and I should stay and help Edward and Bella. We don't know as many nomads as the rest of you. We have led relatively sheltered lives with the family. I think that the rest of you should go, now, and leave Emmett, Edward, and myself to work with Bella over the next couple of weeks. We can all help her with learning to fight and hopefully, to use her abilities when she fights to her advantage. We can also work on her bloodlust so that Edward will not have to try to control her alone if she reacts the way she did last time."

I looked thankfully to Rosalie. It was the best idea I had heard for the next couple of weeks in anyone's mind. Rosalie winked at me and looked expectantly at Jasper. We would all be depending on him to lead us. Jasper was slightly uneasy. "Do you think that you can handle Bella's bloodlust without… my gift?"

Rosalie, Emmett, and I nodded in unison. I added, "You know a lot of vampires, Jasper. You need to go. You will do us more good finding help than you will calming Bella each time she has a mood swing or feels bloodlust. She needs to learn to control it on her own, and fast."

I was surprised at how excited Emmett was to stay behind and help teach Bella to fight. I knew it would be easier for him to teach her than it would me. My instinct told me to take her and run as far away as possible to keep her safe. The overprotective part of me was running rampant in my mind, even with Bella in my head saying, _"You know we can't do that. I have to stay and fight. I have to stand up to them, Edward, even if it costs me my life."_

Her last statement was what was causing my overprotective side to go crazy. I was wrought with fear for all of us, but especially Bella. Suddenly, my mind went delirious with fear when I thought of everything Aro was going to see in my mind when he touched my hand this time. I didn't want Aro sharing in my most intimate moments with Bella. He had no right to those memories, those were mine. I jumped up and ran out of the house at full speed. I ran straight for the mountains and didn't stop. I ran until I couldn't hear any of my family's thoughts in my mind, and then I continued running. I reached the top of a mountain and stopped. I was miles from home. I felt terrible for leaving but I needed to be alone for a while.

I had never considered that I would ever have to touch Aro's detestable finger again. I had not included in my calculations that Aro would be able to see each moment that Bella and I had been together. He would see everything. He would share in our wedding, the day I thought my cold heart would swell out of my chest and explode when I saw Bella walking down that aisle, about to give herself to me for eternity. He would share in our wedding night, decidedly the best night of my life. It was the night that Bella and I truly joined our bodies and souls and became one. _Our souls_. He would see every intimate detail of our honeymoon, every touch, every kiss, every caress, every word spoken between us.

He would also see Bella when she was ill and my struggle with determining that I would, indeed, have to change her to save her. He would know that I was the one that had killed her, and the one that had brought her back to this life to be with me. He would know that I struggled with bloodlust when I changed her. He would see her through my eyes when she awakened. He would see the fear I had that she would not remember me, and then the exultation that I felt when she not only remembered me, but still loved me, and still wanted me.

I sat on the mountain for ages. It was quiet, crisp, and clear. The moon, stars, and aurora seemed to envelop me in their light. I could almost feel myself dancing on the aurora, hopping from one beautiful green streak of light to the next. I stared out over the Alaskan landscape and thought of all the wonderful things that I had thought would be mine forever. I would have to share it all with Aro, if he stopped long enough to see.

I didn't think I would be able to bear it. I didn't feel the strength inside of me to give these memories to Aro. I pictured Bella in her wedding dress, dancing with me on our wedding night. She was so alive and full of excitement and wonder. She was an angel, an angel who wanted to be with _me_. She had bound herself to me without reservation. She unselfishly gave me everything that she had to give. Her mind, her heart, her body, her life, and her soul. And I had taken it. All of it.

If I had not taken it, I would not be facing having it all stripped away from me now. I could not lose Bella. In Alice's vision, I had watched them tear Bella apart. I watched as the flames engulfed her, reducing her to a pile of ashes at my feet. I had seen the evil in their eyes when they refused to do me the favor of letting my ashes rest next to hers, mix with hers, be with hers eternally. I had almost felt their hands on me as they forced me into a locked box from which there was no escape. They would kill her for standing up to them and they would force me into servitude with them. My punishment would be to live my eternal life serving the Volturi with my gift, feeding on humans, and living without my Bella. I would be the only member of my family to survive this fight and that was only because they knew that my survival would be the cruelest thing they could do to me.

I turned and faced the east. I faced the direction from which they would come to tear my world apart. As the first hints of light touched the horizon, sending rays of color over the earth, I heard Bella in my mind. Her voice was soft, frightened.

"_Edward, where are you? Can you hear me? I need you, Edward. I can't do this without you. Why did you leave?"_

"_I'm here, Bella. I can hear you. I'm sorry. I needed to be alone."_

"_Are you coming back?"_

"_Of course I am coming back, my love. You are my life. I could never stay away from you. Can you see what I see, love?"_

I stared at the eastern horizon. The sun would soon ascend into the sky and light the world. The rainbow of oranges, reds, purples, blues, greens, pinks, and yellows was dazzling. I watched them touch the land and the sky simultaneously. The moon, still bright in the sky, was touched by the sparkling rays of light as the top of the sun touched the horizon. Its fiery glow quickly began to arise and it was so big and so close, I could almost reach out and touch it. I saw each beam of light as it touched each living thing spread out in front of me, warming them, giving them light. Giving them hope. Hope for a new day.

"_It's so beautiful," _Bella's voice said, with reverence, in my mind.

The light crawled across the vast openness. I could see the line between daylight and shadow as it slowly crept across the earth, changing everything it touched from an object of shadow and darkness to an object of light. I saw Bella's face on the sun as the light touched my feet, then moved up my legs, licked my fingertips, coursed up my arms, and finally, as it lit my face, I could feel the warmth from it.

In that moment, I knew. Bella coming into my life had been my sunrise, my ascension from darkness into light. She had saved my soul and made me complete again. She had saved me in so many ways.

"_Bella, I love you. I'm coming home, baby. I'm coming home."_

**_End Note: Don't forget to review please! Edward and I have cleared the weekend to spend reading/replying to reviews with our wine. Well, and maybe some other stuff... Please keep in mind that Bella does not yet know that Tanya tried to forcefully kiss Edward. She did not have the "EdCom" on when that all took place. She just overheard Edward yelling at Tanya. Just a thought..._**


	23. Emmett's School of AssKicking

**_A/N Thanks for all the reviews! We are going to make it to 1,000, I just KNOW it! _**

**_Lillie Cullen ~ You Rock My Socks Off BB. Thank you!_**

**_This chapter is dedicated to all my wonderful "Forum Stalkers" on the forum over at Twilighted. LolaRose, TaffyIsabella, Jen2112, MilitzaG, Princess Eoin, cptnsassypants, Madasabrush, VoluptuousVamp, Phoenix Rising, and TheNotoriousR, you ladies rock!_**

**_It is also dedicated (sorry girls, you have to share) to Dulcinea5Leia who pestered me for an invisible lemon. Here it is bb, just for you!_**

**_Story Pimp: If you haven't read "Shrinking the Violets" by Psydoc, RUN, don't walk, over there and read it! It's in my favorites list on my profile._**

**_Also... sorry for the long A/N but... I have a new story called "The Letter" so check it out and let me know what you think. The link is on my profile._**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or any of the characters, but I do own this story, 3 dogs, 3 cats, 3 kids (ok so technically I don't OWN them), and my nursing license. I also don't own Marshall Mathers III or his lyrics, but Emmett is a big fan._

**Big Brother Emmett's School of Ass-Kicking is in Session.**

_**Edward**_

I ran. I ran faster than I ever had. I ran so fast that I almost didn't touch the ground. There was only one thing on my mind and that was getting back to my Bella. She needed me and I needed her. I needed her now more than I ever had. She had been there in my mind when my epiphany struck that I still had a soul and that Bella had saved it. Her delighted cries still resonated in my head on my way back to the house.

When I reached the edge of the clearing behind the house, I saw her. I skidded to a halt and took a deep breath, inhaling her scent. She was wearing the perfume that Alice had given her when we went on our honeymoon. It was the one that enhanced her scent. I realized now why Alice had given it to her. It wasn't for while she was human, it was for after she had changed. She smelled exactly like she had before, when she was human. She was standing in the center of the clearing. My breath hitched and my chest heaved. She was a vision unlike I had ever seen.

She stood with her side to me. She was looking out over the Gulf of Alaska that lapped at the land next to our house. She was wearing a white gown and the chiffon billowed around her as the wind blew. Her long tresses were loose and also blowing in the south wind. Her arms and shoulders were bare save for the spaghetti straps that held her gown. Around her waist was a deep blue sash that was tied in a large bow at her back. The tails were blowing out in the billows of her white dress. She also had a long white scarf around her neck that was blowing in the wind. She looked like a goddess. The goddess Aphrodite, to be exact. I was frozen in place, just watching her stand there. Her head turned slowly towards me and the most beautiful smile in the universe broke across her face. My knees were weak. She took a step towards me and opened her arms. I crossed the distance between us in a split second. I threw my arms around her and pressed my lips gently to hers. She kissed me back tenderly and then leaned back to look in my eyes.

We stood silently staring at each other for a long moment. Her crimson vampire eyes were slightly lighter than they had been, and though I knew that they would not change to gold for some time yet, I could see small flecks of golden color swirling in them. More than that, I could see Bella in her eyes. I could see into her very soul and it was beautiful and full of love.

"I'm so glad that you finally decided to believe me, Edward. It took long enough for you to realize that you are not a soulless monster. You are first and foremost a man; a kind, gentle, tender, loving man, and no creature without a soul can love the way that you do."

I was so lost in her eyes, that all I could reply was, "I love you, Bella."

She smiled and tenderly kissed me again. My eyes fell shut while kissing her and Emmett's thoughts interrupted me, _"Thanks for throwing us out of our own house for the day, Eddie. Hope you have a good time." _His internal laughter was the next thing I heard. Rose's inner voice was next.

"_Have a good day alone together, you two. When we get back, we all have work to do so don't wear yourselves out!"_

I opened my eyes and looked down at Bella who was smiling. "What's going on, love?"

"Oh, nothing much, I just asked Emmett and Rose if we could have a few hours of alone time since everyone else was gone. They graciously obliged me. They are going shopping because Rose hasn't had a good shopping fix lately. Everyone else has already left to seek out help for us and I don't know when we will have another chance to be alone again. Is that alright?"

"It's more than alright, baby," I said as I lifted her up effortlessly and carried her bridal style towards the house at human speed, kissing her all the way.

Her hands in my hair felt amazing. Her fingernails grazed my scalp and made me tingle all over. I walked into the back door of the house and made my way into our study. Bella had picked everything up. It was odd seeing the house with no windows and shattered glass all over the ground outside, but seeing it brought me joy when I thought about how it had happened. The curtains were all blowing in the gentle wind and it felt wonderful to have the breeze blowing through the house.

When I reached our bedroom, I was astounded at what Bella had done. It looked beautiful. She had minimized the breeze blowing through by closing the blinds of the windows and had lit candles sitting on every flat surface. There was soft music playing in the living room that floated through the air. I recognized it immediately as Aram Khachaturian's _Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia_ from the ballet _Spartacus. _I smiled into my Bella's beautiful face and whispered, "Thank you, love."

She smiled back as I laid her gently on the bed. The contrast of her ivory skin against the deep blue bedding was awe-inspiring, especially in the white dress she was wearing. The dress was so beautiful I didn't want to tear it taking it off her. She laid on the bed, her eyes smoldering with desire, as I reached down to the hem of my t-shirt and removed it. I unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans but before I could lower them, she was on her knees with her fingers entwined in my hair. She kissed me with a passion that could have ignited the heavens.

I moaned into her mouth as she licked and nibbled on my lower lip. Our bodies were pressed together and my hands were running over the smooth skin of her shoulders and back. I could have stayed like that forever.

Bella climbed off the bed gracefully and turned her back to me, lifting her hair. I untied the bow on the back of her dress and slowly pulled the zipper down, kissing every bit of skin that I exposed while doing so. She moaned softly each time my lips touched her skin. Once the zipper was all the way down, I slid my hands back up her body and gently pushed the straps off her shoulders and down her arms that were crossed in front of her, holding the dress. She turned her head to the side, exposing her sensuous neck to me. I leaned in and placed my lips in the hollow of her neck near her shoulder while I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her in close to me. She shivered while my lips tenderly kissed and sucked on her neck.

The music in the background changed to _Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Opus 60, 'Werther': I. Allegro non Tropo _by Johannes Brahms. Piano Quartet No. 3 was one of my favorite pieces of music and is incredibly sensual. It heightened my arousal immediately to know that Bella had chosen this to put on her playlist for our time together. She was so thoughtful and in tune to me.

Bella finally dropped her dress to the floor and stepped out of it. She turned to me and pressed her lips to mine as she sensually lowered my jeans and boxers. As we slowly tumbled into the bed together, I sent my shoes flying across the room along with my socks.

Bella was kissing me intently from her position above me when she stopped and looked down at me with a look of pure curiosity on her face. "Edward, I want to try something."

"Anything you want, Bella," I murmured.

She closed her eyes and then disappeared before my eyes. _Oh… I think I know what she has in mind here…_ I glanced down and saw that my body had also disappeared. Our invisible bodies were pressed together and I felt Bella's lips searching for mine. When she caught them, the sensation was indescribable. I felt quite sure that I was going to enjoy this immensely. Our hands explored each other and without the sensation of sight to lead us, the exploration was exhilarating.

Feeling Bella's hands running across my chest while she placed feather light kisses everywhere her hands went was causing my body to react in all sorts of new ways. My eyes were open but all I could see was the bed. I watched, fascinated, as the comforter moved, sunk, stretched, and bunched under our weight and motion. Bella found one of my nipples and teased it with her tongue. My breath hitched when she blew on it and I felt it stiffen even more. She searched for the other one and did the same to it. I kept my hands busy with one in her hair and the other one tracing down her back to her bottom and back up.

"Your lips are magical, Bella," I whispered to her. She giggled lightly and started kissing down my chest. Her hand was trailing down my abdomen until it reached my thigh and she squeezed. I gasped. Bella giggled again. She continued her descent down my body with her lips until they, too, found my thigh. She licked and nibbled and blew on my skin, always avoiding where she knew I wanted her most.

Finally, after several minutes of exquisite torture, I felt her hand wrap around my base and a big breath of air whooshed out of my chest. Being able to see nothing of either one of us made it even more erotic than it was. In the next second, I felt her lips envelop my head and I jumped from the sensation. She sucked and licked and teased and blew her breath on me, giggling at my reactions.

My eyes were glued to where I knew she should be and when I suddenly appeared, but she was still invisible, I nearly lost it. The raw sexuality of having Bella invisible while working me with her mouth was insane. I watched my member while it went in and out of her mouth. I could see the color changes and see it change shape in response to her ministrations.

"Bella," I whispered, my voice strained.

Her voice in my mind said, _"Yes, Edward?"_

"_As much as I am enjoying this, love, would you please come here and let me make love to you?"_

She stopped what she was doing, and I felt her body crawl along mine. When her full length was on top of me, I flipped her over. It was a very odd feeling to know that she was beneath me, but I couldn't see her. I smiled down at her with my crooked smile and she appeared instantly. "You're getting very good at that, Bella." She smiled up at me and pushed my hair off my forehead running her fingers through it.

"I love you, so very much, Edward," she whispered. Her eyes were loving and intense. I stared into them for the longest time. If the truth were to be known, I was terrified of losing her when the Volturi came, but I desperately pushed that thought away. "Don't worry, Edward. We will figure it out. It will be alright. We'll be fine."

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Fine. We'll be fine. You know how I feel about that word, Bella."

She chuckled softly and said, "Okay, maybe that was a bad choice of words. Quit thinking about it and make love to me, Edward. You have plenty of time to worry about the Volturi. We only have a few hours alone."

She was right and I knew it. I focused my full attention back on her and we made love through the morning and into the afternoon. We worshipped each other as though it was our last time together. Every sigh, every kiss, every touch, every murmur was special. We were as one in every way, our bodies, hearts, minds, and souls. When we stopped, we lay tangled in the web of each other for hours talking and laughing together.

Rose and Emmett returned later on in the evening with a trailer full of windows hooked to the back of the Escalade. Bella and I were still laying together staring into each other's eyes. We couldn't seem to pull ourselves apart. Rose and Emmett came into the house rather noisily and Emmett's voice boomed, "Hey you two, time to get out of bed! We have work to do!"

I chuckled and Bella giggled. Rose said, "Leave them alone, Emmett. They don't get much time together," in a soft voice. Her thoughts were swarming with sorrow for what was coming, knowing that we all could be meeting our respective ends, and wanting to make sure we all got the time we needed to spend with our mates.

I smiled at Bella, who was listening to Rose's thoughts with me. She smiled back and nodded once. I called, "Thanks, Rose, but we'll be right out. We need to get on these windows and get them replaced so we can get down to business."

"What's this 'we' shit, Eddie? You and Bella gonna fix the windows that you broke? Or do you have a mouse in your pocket?"

"Very funny, Emmett!" Bella said. "I'm going to help, if that's what you're asking."

"Well, that's good, I'd hate for Casanova in there to have to do it all by himself!"

Rose giggled along with Bella. I rolled my eyes and got out of bed. I gave Bella one last kiss and headed for the shower. She, of course, joined me immediately. She was big on not wasting water.

After our shower, Bella and I dressed and headed out to help Emmett and Rose with the windows. We all worked quickly and by the time the sun came up, we had them all replaced. We all had so much fun together, it was as though there were not a mob of angry vampires coming to kill us all. By the time we were done, Emmett and I were wrestling on the ground trying to prove which one of us was a better grappler. Bella and Rose were laughing and shaking their heads at us. It was just like old times.

Finally, Emmett popped up off the ground and yanked off his shirt. He started doing the Hulk Hogan pose and turned to Bella. "So, little sister, are you ready for your first day in big brother Emmett's school of ass kicking?"

Bella roared with laughter. She approached him slowly, watching his every move. I sat back on the ground to watch. Emmett took his stance and stared right at her like a predator stares down his prey. Bella was crouched and moving with that cat-like motion that made me just want to stare at her. They were both waiting for the other one to make the first move, but Bella, being the more inexperienced one, gave up first and pounced. Even though she was stronger than Emmett was, he was ready for her, and he rolled her over and landed on top of her shouting, "Aha! Gotcha!"

I could see that this was going to be a long tedious process teaching Bella to fight with the court jester at the helm. While Emmett was showing her different stances and moves, I asked Rosalie if Carlisle had called the wolves.

"Actually, no, Edward, he didn't. He was hoping that you would take care of that for him. He said that if you didn't want to, you could call him and he would do it, but he said that he thought it might come better from you."

I sighed and thought on this for a few minutes while watching Emmett attempt to teach Bella how to watch his shoulders so she would know which direction to move to block his attack. It occurred to me that I was glad that Emmett was teaching her this. I wasn't sure that I could. Pretending that I was going to attack Bella for a means other than in lust would be difficult for me.

"Ha! Gotcha again! You gotta watch my shoulders, Bella!"

"I'm trying, Em! You're going too fast!"

"Well, whaddya think the Volturi are going to do? I can see it now…" Emmett raised his voice to sound like a girl and said, "Oh, Aro, I'm sorry, could you have your soldiers slow down a bit, I can't see which way they are going to go because they are moving too fast. Thank you so much!"

Rosalie and I both started rolling around on the ground with our laughter. Bella was giggling, but when Emmett was busy, flexing his muscles and fooling around, she landed a punch in his gut that sent him sailing across the yard. That particular action just sent Rosalie and me into more fits of hysterics. Bella was looking at us and laughing when Emmett rushed her and tackled her from behind. Bella screamed and then started giggling when Emmett started tickling her. I looked at Rose and her thoughts were on the same wavelength as mine, _"Dog-pile on Emmett?"_ I nodded at her and we both jumped, landing on top of Emmett.

"Dog-pile!" we both screamed.

The four of us rolled around on the ground for a long time, laughing and enjoying being with each other. Snow started to fall in big wet flakes and we all stopped. We laid on our backs and looked at the sky, just watching the snow fall all around us. Rose sat up finally, and said, "Edward, what exactly did Alice see? She was awfully upset for it to just be that the Volturi were coming to see about Bella."

I stared up at the sky, not wanting to answer her. I knew that Bella had not seen everything that I saw. I struggled internally about what I should say but finally decided that what Bella wanted from me, above all else, was honestly, so I spilled. I told them all everything. Rosalie was horrified. Emmett was pissed. Bella was fine, right up until I told the part about her being ripped apart and burned at my feet. She gasped at that. When I went on to say that I was the only one that survived and that I was forced into servitude with the Volturi Bella and Rosalie both started sobbing.

"I'm sorry. I thought that honesty was best. Maybe I shouldn't have…"

"No, Edward, you should have," Bella interrupted. "We needed to know the extent of… what could happen."

"Alice's vision will have changed by now."

"Yes, Rose, it will have. Hopefully, for the better." I tried to be encouraging, although I knew that if Alice's vision had gotten much better, she would have called already. Everyone else seemed to know that too.

Bella looked over at Emmett and said, "Come on big brother, we better get busy. Is Big Brother Emmett's School of Ass-Kicking still open for business?"

Emmett grinned with that big silly grin of his and said, "You bet! Let's get going! You have a lot to learn!"

Bella and Emmett went back to their lessons and I decided to retire to the house to call the wolves. If Carlisle wanted me to make the call, he had a good reason for it. I sat on the sofa and stared at my phone for a long time before I started scrolling through my list of numbers, looking for Sam's. Just as I reached his name, my phone lit up with a new call. Charlie. I wondered how I was going to put him off this time. Bella had been emailing both of her parents on nearly a daily basis, if not twice a day, telling them all about the wonderful time she was having at Dartmouth. We purposely had not told either of them about her cell phone or what the number was, hoping that they would not wonder why she didn't have one. Charlie had taken to calling my cell phone frequently as of late and so far, I had managed to convince him that Bella was otherwise engaged. It was mid-morning and a Saturday. He was not going to buy that Bella was in class. I closed my eyes and pushed the answer button.

"Hello, Charlie!" I tried to put as much enthusiasm in my voice as possible.

"Edward. How are you?"

"Just great! How are things in Forks?"

"Well, things are pretty much the same here as they always are, Edward. I don't suppose my daughter is around, is she?"

I paused before I said, "Just a minute, Charlie, let me check with Alice."

I stepped out the back door and whispered to Rose at vampire speed and pitch that I needed her help. She came and took the phone from me.

"Charlie! This is Rosalie! I'm afraid that Alice and Bella have gone out shopping. Is there a message that I can give her for you?"

"Oh, hey, Rosalie. I guess my timing just isn't very good. I just wondered if Bella was planning to come home for any of the holidays. I was going to offer to buy her a plane ticket. I've been trying to call her for days."

I could hear the frustration in Charlie's voice while he talked with Rosalie. I was growing weary of keeping Bella from him. I wondered if he would really notice the difference in her voice over the phone. I knew that Bella did not want to hurt her parents by them thinking she was dead, but I wondered how long we could keep up this ruse with them. Renee had practically gone berserk on me the last time she called and I told her that Bella was "out." I decided that after our next trial with her around humans, we would have to have a serious discussion about how to handle her parents.

"I will give her the message as soon as she returns, Charlie. I'm sorry you haven't been able to get in touch with her. I can assure you that she is doing wonderfully in school and is having a great time here."

"I gathered from her emails," Charlie answered dryly.

"Oh, of course!"

"Well, thank you, Rosalie."

"You're welcome, Charlie. Bye!"

Rosalie clicked my cell phone off and looked at me seriously. I could tell by her thoughts that she was getting ready to lecture me about not tying up that particular situation in a tidier fashion. I put my hands up in surrender.

"I know, Rosalie, I know. I'm trying to abide by Bella's wishes here. You know that."

"I understand that, Edward, but you are going to have to do something, and soon. Maybe Bella should just call him. What is it going to hurt? She can tell him the illness altered her voice if he asks."

"I'll talk to her about it, Rosalie. I promise. Right now I need to call the wolves."

Rosalie's words were much kinder than what she was thinking. She was angry with me for putting this off. I felt sure that she was going to talk to Bella herself when she went back outside, but I didn't feel the need to stop her. I decided that it might be easier for Rosalie to talk to Bella about her parents than it would be for me. Maybe Bella would take it better coming from Rosalie. Whatever excuses I could conjure up in my mind to not have to be the one to tell her that she either had to talk to them or we had to make definitive plans was fine with me. I just didn't want to have to do it.

I walked into our study and sat down at my desk. I, again, scrolled to Sam's name in my contact list and pushed the send button. _No better time than the present._ Much to my chagrin, Sam picked up on the second ring.

"I didn't expect to hear from you, Cullen. What's up?"

"Hey, Sam. How is everything down your way?"

"Pretty good. Jacob finally came home."

"Oh, that's good. We were wondering about that. Is he… okay?"

"He's fine, Edward. I'm sure that you didn't call me to talk about Jacob though. Is there something on your mind?" Sam didn't sound particularly friendly on the other end of the phone and it was making me uncomfortable. I decided that getting right to the point was the best idea.

"Actually, no, I didn't just call to see how Jacob was, although that is _one_ of the reasons I called. The other one is rather complex. Do you have a few minutes?"

Sam was silent for a long moment before he finally said, "Sure, Edward. I don't have to be anywhere right now. What can I do for you?"

I explained the whole thing to Sam without leaving any of the details out. I told him the whole of Alice's vision that I had witnessed and what we were currently doing to try to prevent the inevitable. Sam listened intently, asking very few questions. The ones he did ask were things that I expected. How many? When? Finally, why are you telling me this?

"Well, Sam, the reason I'm telling you this is that we were kind of hoping that you and the pack would consider giving us some assistance." Silence.

"What do we get out of it?"

"Well, for one thing, you get Bella, alive, albeit an immortal, but still alive. You also get our protection from any other man-eating vampires that might wander onto your ground. You get an alliance, Sam. We would be forever in your debt. You and the rest of the pack. If you are not interested, I understand. We will just handle it ourselves. If you are interested, tell me what you would like to get out of it."

Sam, never one to jump into a decision lightly, was silent again. I quietly waited for his response. After, what felt like an eternity, he finally said, "I can appreciate your dilemma, Edward. How many of you do you think there will be?"

"Honestly, Sam, I can't answer that right now. The rest of our family is out looking for friends to help us right now, but I don't know how many of them are going to be willing to stand up to the Volturi. Emmett and Rosalie stayed behind to help me with Bella and to teach her how to fight."

"Alright, Edward, listen, I'll consider it, okay? I can't give you an answer right now. I have to talk to the pack and to the elders."

"Thank you, Sam. That's all I can expect you to do. I'll wait to hear back from you."

"What's your time frame?"

"Somewhere around 3-4 weeks. It would be nice, if you decide that you want to get involved, if you and whoever else decides to come with you, could be here as early on as possible. I don't want to freak any of our out of town guests out."

"Understood, Edward. I'll get back with you as soon as possible."

"Alright. Thanks, Sam."

"Sure thing, Edward. Talk to you soon."

"Yeah, soon, thanks. Bye."

I was relieved to have the initial contact over. I knew that Sam was a man of his word and he would get back to me, regardless of the outcome of his meetings. I took care of a few business items on my computer and headed back outside.

When I got outside, I noticed that Bella seemed to be improving quickly. Emmett and Rose were both attacking her now and she was managing to thwart them both. Emmett had told her not to use her invisibility until she could fight without it, then to use it to her advantage. I searched his mind for signs that he was just afraid of her in her invisible state and chuckled softly at myself for even thinking that. I had to give Emmett credit. He did not sulk at all about Bella's prank like I had thought he would. He was quite good natured about it. It pleased me that we were all getting on so well.

I watched the practice fighting for a few minutes and decided to join in so I circled around behind Bella and stayed as silent as possible while sneaking up on her. _"Excellent idea, Eddie."_ I smiled at Emmett's encouragement. By the time Bella knew I was there, it was too late. I had her around the waist and was play-biting her neck. Emmett and Rose both attacked and were not nearly as gentle as I was being. Bella screamed and took Emmett and Rose out with her feet. She then growled and used her elbows to get rid of me. I landed on the ground with a loud 'thud' and looked up at her, laughing.

"I really don't think you are going to have any problem, baby. You seem to be kicking everyone's ass!"

Emmett and Rose laughed from their positions on the ground and Bella bowed to all of us, laughing as well. I noticed that her eyes were darker than usual and said, "Enough fight lessons, Bella. Time to hunt, love. You have to quit putting your thirst off like this."

The four of us headed off to hunt together and after we were all satiated, I told them I thought we should take Bella to town. It was dark so we wouldn't be obvious. We wouldn't have to get out of the car, just drive around and see how she did. They all agreed so we headed for the Escalade and piled in.

The trip to town would have been made in relative silence if not for Emmett's stereo selections. Bella and I took up having a silent conversation finally because even with our vampire hearing and vampire voices, we couldn't hear each other over his loud thumping music. It was difficult to even concentrate while listening to:

_The way you shake it, I can't believe it  
I ain't never seen an ass like that  
The way you move it, you make my pee pee go  
Da-Doing, doing, doing_

"Emmett! For crying out loud! What _are _you listening to?" I yelled. Bella and Rosalie both giggled and started singing along. I rolled my eyes and stared out the window, anxious for this trip to be over. Emmett, of course, turned it up. Ugh.

When we got close to town, Emmett finally turned the volume down to a dull roar. I was thankful to be getting down to business. Bella and I scooted close together in the back seat and we continued to communicate silently.

"_If it gets to be too much, Bella, just hold your breath and hold on to me, okay, love?" _We were looking into each other's eyes and I could see the fear in hers. I held her around her shoulders with one arm and held her hand with the other. I knew this first time was going to be difficult. Bella didn't take her eyes off me as we started catching the first scents of the humans through Emmett's slightly open window.

"_Oh my God, Edward. I don't think I can do this." _She squeezed my hand tightly and her eyes got large. I could see in her mind that her thoughts were starting to go towards instinct rather than coherent thought, so I tried to continue to engage her in conversation.

"_It's alright, love. I'm not going to let you hurt anyone. You don't want to hurt any of these humans do you?"_

"_No, Edward, but… they smell so delicious!"_

"_I know, baby, I know. It's going to be okay. I won't let anything happen that you don't want to happen."_

Her grip on my hand was crushing. Her entire body was stiff and she was breathing only sporadically. Emmett said, "Have you had enough for one night, Bella? Do you want to go home?"

Bella stared at me, her eyes black as night. She shook her head once and continued to stare at me, now gripping me with both hands.

"It's okay, Emmett. Let's go a few more minutes, but you might turn around and head towards the other end of town so that we can get out and get home fast if we need to."

Emmett nodded and went around the block. He headed back down the main street towards the road that would take us back to our house. Bella was stiffening more and more with each passing second and then things started to get out of hand. Her mind went completely incoherent just before she lost her connection with me. She was growling and had stopped looking at me. She was looking past me at two human girls who were walking down the street. She jumped up in the seat and started to crouch. Rosalie hopped over the console and into the back seat with me as we tried to talk her down.

"Step on it, Emmett," Rosalie yelled as we tried to wrestle Bella back down into the seat. Bella said nothing comprehensible. She was growling and snarling and panting. She was beautiful. I was embarrassed that I was so aroused by my wife acting like that, but I was. She was such a beautiful creature no matter what. Emmett was driving as fast as he could to get out of town and Rosalie and I were attempting to keep Bella from completely destroying the back part of Emmett's Escalade. Once we were out of town and a couple of miles away, Emmett opened all the windows to let other scents permeate the vehicle. I caught a scent of moose and told Emmett to stop.

"I want her to feed, right now, while she still has that scent in her mind so she will associate it with animals, not humans."

Emmett slammed on the brakes and we all jumped out. I held onto Bella as I ran into the woods to find the moose. They were nearby and as soon as I knew Bella could catch one, I let go of her. She attacked it voraciously and sucked it dry quickly. When she was done, she sat down on the ground next to it and rocked back and forth. I went to her immediately, as did Rose and Emmett.

"It's alright, love. Everything is fine now."

"Nice kill on the moose," Emmett said, grinning.

"I wanted them so badly, Edward. How am I ever going to be able to control it if the Volturi bring any humans with them? How am I going to control it if the pack comes?"

All three of us laughed aloud. "Don't worry, love. You won't want the pack, trust me. They smell awful."

Bella didn't smile, but a slight look of relief crossed her face. "But what will I do if there are humans?"

"We are going to bring you to town every night between now and then, Bella. Don't worry, lil' sis, we'll take care of you."

Bella nodded and in a small voice said, "Thank you. All of you."

Rosalie hugged her and then we all got up. We cleaned up after Bella and headed back to the Escalade. The trip home was in relative silence. Em didn't even turn his sound system on, for which I was thankful. When we arrived back at the house, we all decided to play Wii and kill some zombies, which took all of our minds off things.

Sometime around four in the morning, my cell phone rang. I glanced at the display and saw a word that brought it all crashing back down on me again. _"Sam."_

**_End Note: Don't forget to review my lovelies! Edward is just waiting for that 1000th review so he can do a strip tease for everyone and douse himself in chocolate sauce and whipped cream!_**


	24. Chapter 24 Allegiances

**_A/N Alright everybody... Here's the dealio... we have probably one, maybe two more chapters before the Volturi arrive. A lot of information is going to start coming really fast. I'm also having to do a lot of research for these chapters so they are slow going. Sorry about that. I'm trying to make sure I make them worth the wait. Emmett's school of Ass-Kicking is still in session, and just for you ladies on the thread, Edward is going to join in the action this time, shirtless, of course._**

**_I'm SO EXCITED that this story got nominated for "thelionandlambawards"! It was nominated for "Best Alternate Breaking Dawn", "Best Edward/Bella Romance", and "Best Vampire Bella". It would be awesome if my readers would vote for me! The link is on my profile and the voting starts sometime very soon! _**

**_As always... Thank you Lillie for being my everything. You are "da bomb" in all ways BB. Love you H&R!_**

**_Disclaimer: SM owns all. I, however, own this story line, my laptop, 17 KU T-shirts that I am going to have to hide for a while after last Friday night, and every episode ever made of The Sopranos on DVD._**

_**Edward**_

I answered the phone while walking out the back door. I didn't want Sam to hear Emmett screaming at the zombies to 'DIE' while I was on the phone with him.

"Hey, Sam."

"Hey, Cullen. I've talked to the pack. They are in. They want to come help you all out. The elders are a little more reserved about it. I'm still negotiating with them."

"Well, the pack wanting to help is good news."

"Yeah, it is. I'm just not sure right now what the elders are going to say. I realize that as the Alpha, I can make this decision without them, but I would rather not go against the best interests of the tribe. I'm sure you understand."

"Of course I do, Sam. Just let me know."

"Will do. I'll speak to you soon."

"Thanks, and hey, Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell Seth hello for me, please?"

"Sure thing, Edward. He misses you all."

"We miss him, too."

I had mixed feelings after talking to Sam. I had expected the pack to want to help. They were all about killing vampires. I knew, however, that it was going to be more than just the pack who would have to decide. After all, this was not an immediate threat to their land or their people. I would just have to trust that whatever they decided was going to be the right thing for all involved. I was aware that by them helping, they risked many of them being killed.

I dialed Carlisle to give him the update. He didn't answer so I left him a message. Just as I hung up from calling Carlisle, Alice called.

"Carlisle and Esme are on their way to Romania, Edward." _Romania? Great. Carlisle and Esme have gone to recruit the Romanians. _

I rolled my eyes when I said, "I suppose they have gone to find Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum?"

"Edward! Be nice! Vladimir and Stefan could be very powerful allies in this battle!"

"I know, Alice, but you know how much they annoy me." 'Annoy' was a mild word. They downright irritated me, but I knew that Alice was right. They have had a personal vendetta against the Volturi for many centuries. They would be quite useful in a battle.

"Yes, Edward. I know that they irritate you, but we need them."

"I know, I know. They are just so… weird." Alice laughed and her tinkling laughter was nice to hear. I had to admit that I missed her, even though she had only been gone a few days.

"They are weird, aren't they? Oh well, we will need all the help we can get!"

"You're right about that. How is the search going?"

"Well, we've found Peter and Charlotte. They are with us. They have agreed to help. We will travel together for another day and then they are going to take off in a different direction to find some others that they know. They will meet up with us there in a couple of weeks."

"That's great, Alice!"

"I know, right? It's great to see them, too!"

I had to smile at my sister's happiness at finding her friends, even under the circumstances."I'm sure it is. Now, if I can just keep Bella from killing any humans we'll be 'In Like Flint'."

"Um, yeah, Edward, about that…"

"What, Alice? What did you see?"

"Well, it's just that… um… it's going to get worse before it gets better." _Oh great! Just great! I AM going to have to take her to Antarctica. Damn penguins._

"What do you mean _worse_?"

"You need to let Rosalie drive next time. You are going to need Emmett's strength to help you. Oh, and I wouldn't take the Escalade unless you want your brother to have a conniption fit." Alice giggled, obviously amused at whatever this vision had shown her.

"What is Emmett going to have puppies about? Will Bella tear up the 'precious' Escalade?" _Seeing Emmett have another fit might be incentive enough to go ahead and let him use the Escalade again._

"Let's just say that it's in everyone's best interest if you take a different vehicle, Edward. I'm serious."

"Okay, we won't take the Escalade again."

"Good."

"Has the vision changed at all yet, Alice?" Alice grew very quiet. At that moment, I wished her home more than anything so I could see what she was thinking.

"Yes. It has changed… some." Her voice was low and serious.

"Only some?"

"Yes, only some. I know it will change more as time passes. It still isn't good. That's why I say we need all the help we can get. The only time it gets better is when I see us with an army of vampires behind us, and I do mean an army."

"Oh." That wasn't good news at all. "Is there anything I could do to help it change?"

"Get Aro to listen to you before he orders us all killed, Edward. You have to think of a way."

"I don't want to share my memories with Aro again, Alice. You know that." I knew that Alice had to have had a vision of my time on the mountain and she knew how much I wanted my memories of Bella to remain my own.

"Yes, I know, Edward, but it's the only way. It is the only thing that has improved the vision other than the vampire army."

"I see. Well, I'll think on that, okay?"

"Alright. I have to go, Edward. You need to get back in the house anyway before Emmett breaks the television."

I chuckled. "Okay, Alice. Talk to you soon."

"Yeah, soon. Edward?"

"Yes?"

"I love you, Edward. Tell Bella, Emmett, and Rose that I love them too, okay?" It was somewhat frightening to me that Alice was so scared. I swallowed hard before answering her.

"Alright, Alice. I love you, too."

Alice squealed before she hung up on me. I turned and ran into the house at top speed to find Emmett cussing at the television with his fist drawn back.

"Emmett!" He spun around looking like a guilty child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"What, Eddie?" he asked innocently.

"Whatever you were going to do, don't. Alice had a vision that requires me to go to town to purchase a new television and I'm not in the mood."

Emmett chuckled and plopped down on the couch between Bella and Rosalie. I told them all about Sam's call and about my conversation with Alice. I could tell from Emmett's thoughts that he wasn't too worried because he knew that her vision would start to change once real progress had been made. Rosalie was another story. She was sad and afraid. Bella did not turn on the 'EdCom' but I could tell by her face that she was feeling much the same way as Rosalie. I felt powerless to help my wife or my sister feel better.

I sat down in the chair and stared out the window. Bella came over and sat on my lap, putting her arms around me. In typical Bella fashion, she was comforting me when she was the one that needed comforting. As if I could love her any more than I already did.

Rosalie and Emmett started giving each other glances and by their thoughts, I knew they wanted time alone. I asked Bella to take a walk with me. Rose and Emmett deserved their time alone as much as anyone else did. Bella and I left and headed out into the night as Rosalie and Emmett ran up the stairs to their room.

Bella and I walked in companionable silence for quite some time. I let her hunt and satiate her thirst. After that, I took her hand and we continued to walk, hand in hand, silently. We didn't need to talk. We were just enjoying being together.

Sometime later on in the morning my cell rang again. I slipped it out of my pocket and saw that it was Sam again. I wondered if he had already convinced the elders to let them come and help. I answered quickly and was surprised to find that the voice on the other end of the line belonged not to Sam, but to Seth.

"Edward! It's Seth! How are you? How's Bella? Where are you guys? What have you been doing?" I chuckled at Seth's barrage of questions.

"Slow down, Seth! We're fine. We're in Alaska. Everyone is great. How are you?"

"I'm great! I sure miss you guys though. It's _boring_ around here without you." Seth's emphasis on 'boring' was obvious, and funny. Bella, who could hear his voice, giggled.

"Sorry to hear that you are bored. Maybe we can provide some excitement for you soon."

"I know! I can't wait to see what Sam can negotiate with the elders! I wish they would just tell us we can go already! I'm ready to leave now!" I chuckled again. I missed Seth, a lot.

"You better wait until you get clearance, Seth. You could get yourself into trouble there, kiddo!"

"I know. I'm waiting… but I hate it! Hey did you hear about Jake…" There was a loud commotion on the other end of the phone and I distinctly heard Jacob's voice in the background hissing at Seth to shut up.

"What about Jake, Seth?" I asked. Bella had whipped her head around at the mention of Jake's name.

"Um, well, er… I guess he wants to tell you guys himself later. I'm not allowed to tell. Sorry."

"Ahhhh. I understand, Seth. It's okay."

"So, I hafta go, Edward. Say hi to everyone for me!"

"I'll do that, Seth. Good to talk to you!"

"You too! Bye!"

Bella looked thoughtful when I slipped my phone back in my pocket. "What's on your mind, Bella?"

"Just wondering about Jacob, that's all. Do you think he imprinted?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I guess we will find out sometime."

"Yeah, I guess," Bella said as she walked towards the coast. I followed close behind her, wishing she would open our connection so I could see her thoughts. She didn't, and I didn't ask.

She stood, staring out at the water, and I finally couldn't take her silence any longer. I put my hand on her waist and guided her around to face me. Her eyes were sad and seeing her that way broke my cold stone heart. With my arm around her waist, I pulled her close to me and touched her cheek with my other hand, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Penny for your thoughts, love," I said and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"I'm just thinking about what could happen and I'm sad. I finally found a place where I belong and a family that cares about me and takes care of me. I don't want to lose anyone, Edward, especially not you. If Alice's vision comes true…"

"It won't," I interrupted. I couldn't bear the thought of Alice's vision coming true. There would be a way out of it, we just hadn't thought of it yet.

"But, Edward, if it does…"

"Isabella," I interrupted again in a firm voice, "it's not going to come true. It can't. There is no way that I am going to allow what happened in Alice's vision come true. I refuse to see my entire family die like that, particularly you. I don't even want you around for this fight, but I know that you have to be. It seems that one way or another, we were doomed to a showdown with the Volturi. It was going to happen if I didn't change you and apparently, it was going to happen if I did. Whatever their reasoning for coming here to attack us, we are going to be ready, and I am not going to let anything happen to you. I love you, Bella. I can't live without you. You are my life. You are everything to me. You are the half of me that makes me whole. All of the joy I have ever had in my existence as an immortal, I've had with you. I could never bear being without you again. You are the _most important _thing in my life. You are sustenance, shelter, protection, and most importantly, you hold my heart and soul in the palm of your hand."

Bella stood silently staring into my eyes for a long moment after that. Finally, she spoke. "You say such profound things to me, Edward. Sometimes I don't even know how to process it. I'm not nearly as eloquent with words as you are, but I do love you, so much, and I trust you. I know that you and the rest of the family will figure something out to make this right." She sounded so sad and it dawned on me that she felt as though she were useless to participate.

"Bella, you are a very important member of this family. As much as we all count on each other, we are counting on you, too. You are going to be just as much help with this as anyone else. I don't want you to feel as though you are not an active participant!" Her eyes brightened slightly as I spoke and I noticed that the flakes of gold swirling in the red were becoming more noticeable.

"Thank you, Edward. I'm just so inexperienced. I'm afraid that I will be more of a hindrance than a help."

"Silly Bella," I said, tousling her hair. "You are going to be a big help, love. Your shield, your ability to communicate with me silently, and your invisibility are going to be invaluable to this fight. Never think that you are less than an equal, Bella. Never." She threw her arms around me and hugged me tight, burying her face in my chest. My entire being felt surrounded by love. I knew that I had to keep my promises to her, not just for her, but for me. I didn't lie when I said I couldn't survive without her.

We stood there holding each other for the longest time, neither one of us wanting to let go. If we let go, it would mean plunging back into reality. Unfortunately, it wasn't long until reality dragged us in anyway. My cell rang. I reached into my pocket and pulled it out, looking at the caller ID. It was Charlie.

"Bella, you have to talk to your father, he's on the phone again."

"But, Edward, my voice!"

"Just tell him it's after effects from your illness, Bella. I can't keep stalling him."

She timidly took the phone from me and opened it. She was almost whispering when she said, "Hello?"

"Bella! It's about damn time! Why haven't you returned any of my phone calls?" So far, so good. He didn't even mention her voice yet. I listened quietly.

"I'm sorry, dad. I've just been really busy with school and everything."

"Well, okay, I'm glad I finally got you. I was about to get on a plane and come there to see if you were really alive or if Edward was just stringing me along!"

Bella giggled before she said, "Oh, Dad. That's just silly! We have just been busy!"

"What's wrong with your voice, Bella? You sound… different."

"Oh, that, well, I guess my illness changed it a bit." Bella's eyes were wide and she was looking at me with terror in them. I just smiled and nodded, encouraging her. I felt strongly that Charlie would believe her.

"Oh, I see. Speaking of your illness, are you completely well now?"

"Pretty much. I still have some bad days now and again where I am very tired. But really, Dad, I'm fine."

"Alright, Bells. I'll take your word for it. The reason I've been trying to get in touch with you is that I wondered if you would be coming home for any of the holidays. I'm missing you, Bells. It would be nice if the two of you came here for Christmas Break, or even just you. I know you probably want to spend Christmas together…"

"I'm sorry, Dad. We just can't. Maybe next year we can, but this year, I just want to stay here. It's our first Christmas together as a married couple and I…"

"I understand. I was just hoping."

"I'm sorry, Dad. I would like to, but we are just so busy."

"It's okay, Bells. Really, it is. It sounds like you need the break to take care of yourself and finish getting over your virus anyway."

"Yeah, I do. Thanks for understanding, Dad."

"Of course, Bella. Now listen, I've got to run, but don't be such a stranger, okay? I love your emails, but I want to hear your voice once in a while, too, no matter how different it sounds."

"Okay, Dad. I promise."

After Bella hung up the phone, she threw her arms around me again. "I can still talk to Charlie, Edward! Isn't that great?!"

I smiled. Of course it was great, but what about when she couldn't avoid seeing him anymore. I wasn't sure that was going to be so great. I didn't mention it just then. I didn't want to ruin her happiness.

Emmett's booming voice interrupted the quiet of the morning. "Where is my apprentice? Ass-kicking school is back in session!" I chuckled and Bella giggled.

"Sounds like it is time for me to get back to my studies," she said sounding happy. She kissed me passionately before running back towards the house where Emmett was. I watched her run with a smile on my face. My lovely Bella.

I started back towards the house at a much slower pace than Bella had. Emmett was quite amusing standing outside with his shirt off, posing and flexing his muscles. When Bella arrived, Emmett started testing her on what he had taught her the day before. She did quite well and I was pleased that she seemed to be learning so fast. When I arrived, Emmett requested my assistance.

"Okay, Edward, she's doing great. I think today we need to learn to teach her how to take on two at once." I grimaced. This would mean that I would have to pretend to attack her. I steeled myself and peeled my shirt off. It was easier for her to see which direction we would come from with our shirts off, as she would be able to see every little movement of our muscles before we moved.

"Alright, Emmett. Don't forget to watch our shoulders, Bella. Make sure you take note of every twitch of our muscles so you can anticipate which direction we will attack from."

Bella nodded and sucked in a deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready."

Emmett and I stood on opposite sides of her and began circling her. I tried to put my mind into an attack status, but couldn't seem to make myself believe that I was really going to attack her. Emmett was silently telling me when to attack and when he said, _"Go now!"_ I lunged half-heartedly. Surprisingly, Bella was ready. She put her foot right in the middle of my chest and sent me sailing across the yard. At the same time, she grabbed Emmett's arm and flipped him. He landed on his back with a loud "thud" on the ground. Bella opened her mouth to speak and started screaming. Emmett's forearm was still in her hands.

I jumped up and ran to her full speed. Emmett was stunned. He was staring between Bella and the stump where his arm had been.

"Shhh, Bella, it's okay."

She handed me Emmett's arm and knelt next to Emmett. "Oh, Emmett, I'm so sorry. Oh my God, Rosalie is going to kill me! I didn't mean to, I swear!"

I chuckled and handed Emmett's arm back to him. "Bella, it will re-attach without any problem, baby. Don't worry."

She looked up at me with wide eyes. "Re-attach?"

"Yes, look," I said, pointing at Emmett. He had put the arm back on his stump and it was knitting together rather quickly. He started wiggling his fingers and flexing his hand.

Bella gasped and Emmett laughed. "Damn, little sister, you don't know your own strength, do you?"

"I'm sorry, Em, did it hurt?"

"Ha! I'm tougher than that! Yeah, it hurt, but I'll live! Good job, Bella!"

Once Emmett's arm was back where it belonged, he hopped up and encouraged Bella to get ready again. She tried to refuse, but Emmett convinced her saying, "That's how you kill a vampire, Bella. You have to rip them apart and burn the pieces, remember?"

"I… I… knew that… I just… didn't expect the pieces to… erm… go back together that… easily!" she stammered.

Finally, we convinced Bella to continue her fight training. The morning passed by quickly and faded into afternoon. At some point, Rosalie had joined us and Bella was easily fighting off all three of us at once. I was quite pleased with her progress.

Later on in the evening, it was time to take Bella back into town to expose her to humans again. Bella and I headed out to the garage to get Emmett and Rosalie. Emmett ran over and hopped in his Escalade. I shook my head at him.

"No, Emmett. I don't think we should take the Escalade tonight."

"Why not, Eddie?" he said, far too enthusiastically for my taste.

"Because of the vision your sister had of Bella shredding the interior, _Emmy_," I responded dryly. I wondered if he remotely knew how irritating it was when he called me 'Eddie.'

"Oh!" he said, and piled back out of the Escalade. We didn't have many choices left. It was either the Escalade, my Volvo, Rosalie's BMW, or Esme's work truck.

Rosalie grabbed the keys to Esme's truck out of the key cabinet and said, "The truck it is!" Emmett and I both laughed, but Bella looked terrified.

"Come on, love," I said putting my arm around her and pulling her towards the back seat of the crew cab pickup. Emmett and Rosalie's thoughts echoed my own in that if Bella tore up the truck, it would be easier to fix or replace than any of the other vehicles and Esme would be less likely to be upset with her than anyone else.

Emmett rounded to the driver's side and tried to take the keys from Rosalie. I had to stop him. "Emmett, I think you need to let Rosalie drive this time."

Bella glared at me. "What did Alice tell you?"

I shrugged and told her truthfully, "She recommended we not take the Escalade unless we wanted to see Emmett have a conniption fit and also recommended we let Rosalie drive this time. Don't worry about it, love. We won't let you do anything."

Bella climbed into the middle of the back seat of Esme's truck and Emmett and I flanked her. I could tell that Bella was worried so I took her hand and squeezed it, trying to reassure her. As I stared out the window, I wondered who I was reassuring, her, or myself. I had hoped not to have to desensitize Bella in such a manner. I had hoped that we could not even begin to worry about having her around humans for at least a year, but I knew that it was imperative now.

As Rosalie sped along towards town, I thought about other newborn vampires and how much better at control Bella was than they were. I did wonder, however, why she had such a violent reaction to the smell of human blood when she was around them. She didn't seem to crave human blood, but she certainly reacted to it when it was available. When Bella was human, she had been able to smell human blood. She had been almost hypersensitive to it. I mused that perhaps this was one of the traits she had brought with her to her immortal life. If that was the case, I was in big trouble.

We were close to town when I noticed that Bella stopped breathing. I asked Rosalie to slow down. "What is it, Bella? Open your connection or talk to me, baby."

"I don't want to smell them," she whispered.

I put my arm around her and hugged her tight to me. "You have to, Bella. That's what this is all about." I glanced at Emmett who slid closer to her on the other side and slid one of his huge arms around her waist. His other arm draped across her legs. I raised my eyebrow at him and he snarled at me. His thoughts chastised me.

"_Do you want me to help or not, Edward? I can just let go and let you try to control her."_

I shook my head at him once. Rosalie cracked the window as she drove into town. There were several humans standing around outside a bar, and I felt the burn in my throat as their scent reached me. Bella was still not breathing.

"Breathe, Bella," I whispered, reminiscent of when she was human and I had to remind her to breathe. She closed her eyes and took in a breath. Her body immediately stiffened. Keeping one arm around her shoulders, I put my other hand on her arm. Emmett had her other arm pinned between her and him.

She opened her connection and I could hear her silently pleading with me, _"My throat is burning, Edward. I don't like this. I'm not strong enough."_

"_Yes you are, love. You can do it. I have all the faith in the world in you. You are stronger than you think you are. Just keep telling yourself how much you don't want to kill a human."_

She had started struggling somewhat, but I found that it was much easier to maintain control over her movements with Emmett helping me. Her mind remained lucid and she continued to talk to me silently.

"_Edward, please, take me home. I'm going to do something that I'll regret."_

"_It's almost over, Bella. You're doing just fine. Your mind is staying with me this time. That's a huge improvement."_

"_I can't… I can't… I can't do this. Edward, please… I want…"_

"_NO, Bella," _I ordered her firmly with my mind. I could see in her thoughts that she was starting to lose control. Her inner predator was attempting to take over her thoughts and reduce her to an instinctual state.

"Rosalie, it's time to get out of town," I said quietly. Bella was now struggling against Emmett and me and we were both having to hold on quite tightly to her to keep her where she was. Growls emitted from her chest but her mind remained somewhat rational.

"_Edwaaaaard…"_

"_You're doing just fine, Bella. We are leaving now. Just stay with me, baby. Stay with me. Talk to me. Recite poetry, do anything to distract yourself."_

Rosalie had turned off the main road and was heading towards getting out of town as fast as she dared. The scent of humans was still all around us. Emmett and I both clung tightly to Bella who was struggling against us. Suddenly, in her mind, the poetry burst forth.

_Often rebuked, yet always back returning  
To those first feelings that were born with me,  
And leaving busy chase of wealth and learning  
For idle dreams of things which cannot be: _

_To-day, I will seek not the shadowy region;  
Its unsustaining vastness waxes drear;  
And visions rising, legion after legion,  
Bring the unreal world too strangely near._

_I'll walk, but not in old heroic traces,  
And not in paths of high morality,  
And not among the half-distinguished faces,  
The clouded forms of long-past history._

_I'll walk where my own nature would be leading:  
It vexes me to choose another guide:  
Where the gray flocks in ferny glens are feeding;  
Where the wild wind blows on the mountain side_

_What have those lonely mountains worth revealing?  
More glory and more grief than I can tell:  
The earth that wakes one human heart to feeling  
Can centre both the worlds of Heaven and Hell._

As she recited the words in her mind, Bella's body relaxed immensely. As her body relaxed, Emmett and I relaxed our hold. Rosalie had made it out of town just as Bella was finishing the poem. Bella opened her eyes to find me smiling at her.

"You did wonderfully, Bella. Emily Brontë, how appropriate."

She smiled back at me. "Thank you, Edward. I don't know why I didn't think of distracting myself that way."

I kissed her forehead and said, "If you thought of everything on your own, what would you need me for?"

She giggled. Rosalie turned on the radio and we all sang along on the way back to the house. Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" came on and Bella squealed and reached into the front seat to turn it up. Emmett and I both laughed at her while we, too, sang along.

_Hold me closer tiny dancer  
__Count the headlights on the highway  
__Lay me down in sheets of linen  
__You had a busy day today…_

When we got back home, we all went inside and started playing Wii again. We really were having a good time together and were enjoying each other while we all tried to keep our minds off what was coming.

Carlisle called later on that night to let us know that the Romanians were definitely 'in'. He wanted to know how calling the wolves had gone and I told him that they were considering it.

"Have you found anyone besides Stefan and Vladimir?"

"Liam, Siobhan, and Maggie are coming. I don't know yet whether they will actually fight if we need them to, but they are coming to show their support."

"Maybe if there are enough of us, the Volturi will not want to fight us."

"We can only hope."

"Anyone else?"

"Not really, although Alice got a lead on Zafrina, Senna, and Kachiri today, so I think she is headed to the Amazon to find them."

"Well, that's good news. Zafrina's gift is always… interesting." It sounded like it was slow going and I was worried there would not be enough of us, but I knew that Carlisle, Esme, Alice, and Jasper would exhaust every possibility before they stopped. "Where are you headed now?"

"Egypt." _Amun. _

"Do you really think Amun and his coven will come?"

"I don't know, Edward, but it is worth a try."

The rest of our conversation was centered around Bella's training. Carlisle seemed satisfied that we were doing all we could to help her. When we were finished talking, I sat down to watch Bella and Emmett kill zombies a while longer. I couldn't decide if time was flying by way too quickly, or crawling by way too slowly.

The next few days continued on much as the last few had. Every morning Emmett, Rosalie, and I worked with Bella on her fighting skills. She was improving greatly every day. Each night, we took her into town and exposed her to humans. She was doing a lot better with that. She had learned that by reciting poetry or entire chapters of her favorite books she could distract herself from the scent of the humans. By the weekend, we were considering getting her out of the vehicle and walking down the street with her.

Alice called me several times and it seemed that her visions were improving all the time. At least she wasn't seeing a complete slaughter of our family anymore. It was good to know that all of our work was helping. Between our family and the Denali family, we were expecting quite a few vampires to show up to help us. I still had not heard from the wolves and Alice's visions had not disappeared altogether yet, so I didn't know what that verdict was going to be. All I knew was that things seemed to be getting better and I was relieved, as was everyone else.

Sunday afternoon my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Alice. I answered to her sounding frantic and excited all at once.

"Wait, Alice, slow down, what's the matter?"

"The vision… it just…" _Beep._ Call waiting. I looked at my phone. "Sam," it said on the display screen.

"Alice, can I call you back? Sam is calling."

"I know, Edward!" she practically screamed at me. "My vision just disappeared… completely! All I know is that the Volturi are two weeks away!"

"Okay, Alice, calm down. I'll call you right back!"

I shook my head while I pressed the button to flash over to Sam's call. I answered with trepidation. "Hi, Sam. What's up?" Happily, it was Seth on the other end of the line.

"Edward, guess what? We get to come!" I laughed because Seth's voice was squeaking he was so excited.

"That's great, Seth! When are you coming?"

"I'm leaving tonight! Isn't that great? I get to come with the first team. Of course, Samhadtomakemestayputwhilehegaveusourorders. Iwantedtoleaverightaway!"

I laughed aloud. Emmett had heard and was laughing too. He grabbed the phone and said, "Seth, little buddy! Did you grow up enough to give me a real fight yet?!"

"Emmett! Isn't it GREAT?!"

"Yeah, Seth! It's great! I can't wait for you to see my new wheels, man! You are going to love them!"

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the phone back from Emmett while Seth was yelling, "OhboyIcan'twait!"

"So, you're leaving tonight, Seth?"

"Yeah, me and the 'reconnaissance team' are leaving tonight! Doesn't that sound all official and stuff?"

"Yup, that sounds pretty official all right! How are you getting here?"

"We're running. How else would we come?"

"Don't you think maybe you should save your strength and come by car, ride the ferry, all that?"

"Nah, we're tough!" I could hear by the tone of his voice that Seth was flexing his muscles while he spoke. It was going to be a breath of fresh air to have that kid around again.

"Alright, Seth. You know how to get here and everything?"

"Yeah, Jake told us!" Oh, well yeah, of course Jacob told them.

"Well, I'll make sure that the kitchen is stocked for you, okay?"

"That's great, Edward, 'cause I'm going to be _hungry_ when I get there!"

I chuckled again and said, "I'll just bet you will be."

"I gotta go, Edward, but here, Sam wants to talk to you!"

"Okay, Seth, see you soon."

"Bye!"

I could hear the phone crashing around as though Seth had thrown it on the floor. I was happy that he was so excited to come, but was instantly worried about protecting him from harm. If there was any single one of the wolves that I truly did not want to see hurt in this fight, it was Seth. I just had to trust that our previous fight together had taught him what he needed to know to survive. I knew, however, that this would be different. We were fighting vampires before, not super-powerful vampires with an army of talented vampires backing them up. I cringed as Sam's smooth voice came on the line.

"Well, Edward. Obviously, Old Quil has given his blessing to our alliance. I am sending a few on up. They will scout some things out for me and of course, they will let the rest of us know while they are phased."

"Yes, of course. I will make sure our kitchen is well stocked."

"Edward, Old Quil wanted you to know that he appreciates your asking for our help. It is a testament to how much things have changed over the past couple of years. We feel that when we renegotiate the treaty, we would like to seal this alliance permanently. The old provisions will still stand, of course, but we would like to make sure that in the future, if either of us needs help, we need not skirt around the issue so much. We want it to be so that all we have to do is make the call and without waiting, the other party will be there. Of course, we hope that we never have to invoke it, but just in case."

"I think that is an excellent proposition, Sam. I would like for you to convey to Old Quil and to the rest of the pack how much we appreciate your agreeing to help. This is historic. I believe that we will make a good team."

"I believe you are right. You should expect Seth and company sometime in the next 24-48 hours. They are preparing to leave now."

"Thanks, Sam."

"You bet, Edward. See you soon."

I hung the phone up relieved. I truly felt that the addition of the wolves to our side was going to be helpful and might be the difference between victory and defeat. I grabbed Bella and swung her around. She squealed in delight and I said, with a twinkle in my eye, "Your friends are coming, Bella!"

She laughed and hugged me tight. "I knew they wouldn't let us down, Edward. I just knew it!"

I kissed her and grinned at Emmett as I turned and headed to our bedroom. There was no way I was letting this moment pass by without making sweet love to my Bella. I heard Emmett and Rosalie tearing up the stairs to their room as I tossed Bella on the bed and shredded her clothes. "I love you," I whispered, as my lips crashed down on hers.

**_End Note: PLEASE review! Yes, I'm begging. I want to hit a thousand reviews so bad I can taste it! Edward has gone out and bought extra chocolate sauce and so many cans of whipped cream that I am having trouble finding a place to store them for very long! He is looking forward to his "1,000 Review Celebration!" _**

**_Further disclaimers: I don't own "Often rebuked, yet always back returning" by Emily Brontё OR "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John. Can anyone guess why I used that particular song?_**


	25. Chapter 25 Calm Before the Storm

_**A/N My readers are the best! Keep those reviews coming! Thank you for being patient while I got this next chapter out. I had a lot of road blocks from RL including a family emergency that took me away for about three days from writing, so I'm really happy to be able to give you all this chapter as an Easter present! **_

**_Theme song for this chapter (no, I don't normally do this, but...) If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback. There is also a full playlist for this chapter and if anyone is interested, I will post it in my profile. It is also available at Twilighted on the Ascension thread. I had to make a playlist to get me in the right frame of mind to write this chapter. I need to give JustBiteMePlease and MilitzaG props for helping me come up with the appropriate songs for my playlist. You ladies rock and I love you both H&R!_**

**_I must give homage as well to Lillie Cullen, my fantabulous beta-extraordinaire, who took a break from her kids' Spring Break to beta the chapter for me. Otherwise it would have been another week coming. Lillie, you rock hard bb! Who takes care of me better than you? Nobody, that's who! I love you H&R! Bora Bora or Bust BB!_**

**_Please don't forget to vote for Ascension at the Lion and Lamb Awards. The link is in my profile. Nominated for Best Alternate Breaking Dawn, Best Edward/Bella Romance, and Best Vampire Bella. And if you vote for it, thank you in advance. I'm extremely honored just to have been nominated! _**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters depicted herein. Blah... Blah... Blah... Edward owns me and I like it that way. _

_**Edward**_

The four of us were in the back yard practicing our fighting skills when Seth arrived with Quil and Embry. I heard their thoughts as they arrived as wolves, phased into human form, dressed, and ran out of the woods. When Emmett, Rosalie, and Bella heard their eminent arrival, Bella stiffened. I knew that she was frightened that she would smell them and want to kill them. I snatched her hand and held it tightly. She opened our connection and we spoke silently. Her grip on my hand was crushing as the three boys approached. They seemed to sense her fear and slowed to a walk, stopping some feet away from us. Seth looked cautious while Quil and Embry looked afraid.

"Hey, Edward! We made it!" Seth called.

I smiled and said, "I can see that! It's great to see you. I think you've grown!"

"Maybe a little!" Seth said, laughing. He looked at Bella who was standing next to me, gripping my hand for dear life, her eyes wide with fright.

Emmett ran over to Seth and hugged him. He shook hands with Quil and Embry. He jerked his thumb towards us and said, "Don't worry about baby sister and my brother. They aren't trying to be jerks. Bella is just trying not to drink the three of you dry!" I rolled my eyes. Emmett was far too jovial. If Bella could not control her bloodlust around the wolves, they would have to remain phased the entire time they were with us and I didn't think they would like that. Bella agreed. She was not breathing, but I put my arms around her in a tight embrace and encouraged her to go ahead and breathe. It was not going to do her any good if she held her breath the whole time.

She relaxed slightly and took a small breath in. _"Holy crow, Edward. They stink!"_ I chuckled.

"_I told you they would, sweetheart." _I released my embrace slightly while Emmett and Rosalie watched, ready to help me with her if she attacked.

"_They don't make my throat burn at all, Edward. You can let go of me. I want to give Seth a hug."_ I nodded at Em and Rose to let them know all was well and released Bella.

She smiled and took a tentative step towards Seth. "I am so happy to see you, Seth! Is it alright if I give you a hug? You don't smell… very good. At least you don't smell like something to eat, how's that?"

A huge smile spread across Seth's face and he crossed the distance between himself and Bella. He grabbed her and hugged her tight, then stepped back to look at her. "Bella! You are so pretty! I can't believe that you could get any prettier than you were, but wow! You look great! I've missed you so much!"

Bella's laughter filled the air as she went to each of the wolf-boys and hugged them. I hugged them all too, and hugged Seth particularly tightly, tousling his hair. "Damn kid, I've missed you!"

"Me too, Edward! I'm so excited about all this! I can't wait! When does the fun begin?"

I chuckled at him. "Soon, Seth. It's only days away. There are going to be many vampires showing up in the next few days. Don't be afraid of any of them. I will make sure they understand what the deal is and some of them will already know."

"I'm not scared of a bunch of bloodsuckers! You know that!" Seth said excitedly, and then without missing a beat he said, "We're hungry! What did you get us to eat?"

I laughed and shook my head while I led them inside the house and showed them around. When we made it to the kitchen, Bella was already there making a huge skillet full of scrambled eggs and another huge skillet full of bacon. She had the toaster going full tilt making toast and seemed to be enjoying herself.

"I hope you guys appreciate this because it stinks to high heaven!" she said with a smile. I stepped behind her and snaked my arms around her waist, kissing her neck while she cooked. She leaned her head into me and hummed in appreciation. I knew she was ecstatic that she could be with the wolves without bloodlust, and frankly, I was too.

So started the next phase of our wait for the Volturi. After the wolves ate, the seven of us went to scout out a place for us to meet the Italians. We didn't want to wait for them near our house as the house could very well end up destroyed in the battle.

We hiked around while the wolves phased and ran through the woods and mountains. In the end, Rosalie was the one to find the perfect place. It was surrounded on the North, West, and South by mountains. There was a hill on the East side, but nothing like the mountains on all the other sides. It was flat with a stream running through it, although the stream was frozen. Snow thickly covered the mountaintops while only a dusting covered the valley below. There were trees, but they were nowhere as thick as the forest. Rosalie had called to all of us and we quickly found her and the place where all of our respective fates would manifest.

Bella ran up beside me and took my hand. She glanced around at the beautiful spot that Rosalie had found then looked up into my eyes. _"It's a beautiful place, Edward."_

"_Yes, my love, it is."_

We silently stared at each other. We didn't speak aloud or with our minds. There was nothing left to say. If we were going to die, this would be the place that it would happen.

Seth, Embry, and Quil were running around the perimeter of trees looking for good places for the wolves to hide. My conversations with Jasper over the last days had led me to believe that he didn't want the wolves visible until they had to be. Seth had told us we were in for a surprise because there were more of them now than there had been when we left. He didn't give exact numbers and we didn't ask. We didn't really want to know how many more Quileute boys had been doomed to the same fate.

The next days were filled with hunting, practice fighting, and taking Bella to town twice a day to continue working on her human bloodlust. She was getting better. She was still afraid of the burn she had in her throat each time she smelled a human, but had figured out enough ways to distract her mind that she was able to keep her instinct from winning out. I viewed this as a gigantic step forward for her and one that could not be achieved by many newborn vampires for years, or maybe even ever.

By the middle of the week, the rest of our guests had begun to arrive. The wolves had decided to camp out over at the site where we planned to meet the Volturi. They took turns coming around the house to eat but were slightly wary of all the vampires who had started showing up. Most of the time, Seth, Quil, and Embry would show up and haul off more food than they could eat themselves. I started to wonder if we were going to have enough groceries to keep them all fed. Curiously, Jacob had not shown up yet. Sam had been to the house on several occasions to plot strategies. He and I had spoken at length about our alliance and I had made sure that he understood that the Volturi would probably not appreciate it. He assured me that he didn't care. He stated that he was with us to help protect our family just like he would protect his tribal members. Sam and I were actually becoming quite close and I was truly beginning to appreciate his friendship, wisdom, and camaraderie.

The Denali family were the first vampires to arrive back at our place. They had a few nomadic vampires that I had never met in tow. We greeted each new vampire with enthusiasm and thanks for joining us. It was impressive to find that there were so many vampires who had run-ins with the Volturi and were weary of the Volturi acting as judge, jury, and executioner in our world. Many were afraid to fight against the Volturi, but wanted to stand with us anyway to show the Volturi that it was not just us that disapproved of their methods.

We had to make it clear to each vampire that arrived that we maintained permanent residence and interacted with humans regularly. We asked that they not hunt near our home and preferred that they stick to animals as much as possible while they were with us. Everyone who came agreed to those terms, which made things infinitely easier for us.

The night that Alice, Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme returned home was one of great joy. We had all missed them and I was ready to give up the "head of the family" duties. We all spent a couple of hours catching up on all the news before we decided we had to get down to business. Alice was almost constantly in a state of visions with all that was going on and she was exhausted. She wasn't her usual perky self and that bothered me greatly. She and Bella hid in our bedroom for an extended period of time. I left them to their girl time and stayed outside with the rest of the vampires who were all meeting, along with Sam, to plan strategies.

While we were meeting, I heard a vehicle approach and sensed Jacob's mind. He was carefully blocking, speaking in his native language inside his head. I had never heard him do that, but knew that all the Quileute children were taught their native language as part of their schooling. It was a language that I had never studied and I was intrigued at Jacob's use of it to block me.

"Jacob is here," I announced. Just as I did, I realized that Jacob's mind was not the only one. There was another, someone I didn't know, who was also speaking the Quileute language in her mind. It was definitely a female and her mind was definitely human. _This is not good._

I charged into the house and opened the front door just as Jacob raised his arm to knock. He was beaming. He looked completely different than he had the last time I had seen him. At his side was a beautiful Quileute girl. She appeared to be approximately his age with long black hair and deep brown eyes. Her full lips were curled into a smile and she was extending her hand to me as both of their minds stopped blocking me. I could see from their thoughts that Jacob had imprinted on this girl and recently married her. What made him bring her to a house full of vampires, one of which being a newborn, was still beyond me. I shook her hand and nodded to her while Jacob began speaking.

"Edward! Nice to see you! This is Nara, my wife."

I nodded at Nara and said, "It's nice to meet you, Nara." I then turned my gaze on Jacob and did my best to turn it to a glare. I shook his hand and said, "Jacob, it's great to see you, and I'm happy for you and all, but I don't think this is the appropriate place for you to bring your new bride."

Sam was suddenly at my side. "Jacob, are you crazy? I told you not to bring her! I didn't know I needed to go into Alpha mode to tell you that or I would have!"

Jacob looked slightly embarrassed and said, "I just wanted the Cullens to meet her. She's going to town to stay in a motel as soon as we are done here."

I heard Bella's voice in my head saying, _"Edward, what's going on out there?" _Then she said, _"Oh! Jacob imprinted?! How wonderful!"_ She was coming. Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie were standing behind me and I glanced at them with fear in my eyes. Sam, sensing my fear, stepped forward with a hand in Jacob's chest.

"Get outside Jake, now," he growled at him. Jacob and Nara stepped off the porch and back towards their car. Sam went to stand on Nara's other side and was whispering to Jake, "Jacob, this is probably the single stupidest move you have ever made. I'm not sure that I can even mete out any punishment to the Cullens if Bella decides to take a bite out of Nara. It would be your own stupidity for bringing her here."

Nara was looking from Jacob to me to Sam and was fearful for the first time. Apparently, Jacob had not filled her in fully about meeting Bella. I was becoming angrier with Jacob by the second, and considering Sam's thoughts, so was he. Bella and Alice appeared in our study door and I noticed that Bella wasn't breathing. _Good._ She smiled and looked around. "Where are they, Edward?"

I pointed outside and watched her carefully as she made her way over to me at human speed. She had cut off our silent communication and I was worried. She always had it open when I took her around humans. I was liking this whole thing less and less. Bella walked right past me and out the door. My eyes widened and we all followed her, at vampire speed, out into the yard.

"Bella!" Jacob yelled cheerfully. _What an idiot. _Bella glided towards him and hugged him.

"It's nice to see you, Jacob. And who is this?" she asked calmly. It was almost enough to make me relax, but not quite. Bella had inhaled just before she spoke and I knew that she could smell Nara. Her scent was unmistakably human, even if the putrid scent of werewolf hung around her.

"Bella, this is Nara, my wife! I know I shouldn't have brought her, but I wanted you to meet her!"

Bella turned to the girl and extended her hand, which Nara took nervously. Bella was smiling at her and everything seemed fine until I detected the growl in her chest that was inaudible to the humans. I saw her muscles start to tense as she released Nara's hand, still staring at her and smiling, although her smile was starting to look more like a snarl. Everything happened very quickly then. Bella's hands shot out to grab Nara just as Emmett and I jumped on her and yanked her backwards. Bella then started growling loudly and snarling. Carlisle said, "Jacob, it's time to go. Now."

While Emmett and I were fighting Bella to keep her down, Jasper was trying to calm her, and Jacob was shoving Nara into the car. Sam was staying with Jacob and Nara, but did not get in the car with them. Jacob started the car and tore out of the driveway. Bella was screaming by then and fighting us for all she was worth. She finally succeeded in kicking me away and I flew across the yard. Jasper instantly took my place and held her legs while Emmett tried desperately to hold her arms and keep from getting bit. Rosalie dived in to help Emmett with her arms and Alice went to help Jasper with her legs. I stood and rushed back over to her side and pleaded with her to calm down.

"Please get control of yourself, Bella. Please, baby. I need you to calm down. She's gone now, it's okay, she's gone."

Bella finally started to calm after Jasper's next wave of calm washed over her. She began sobbing immediately and as soon as my siblings released her she jumped into my arms. "Oh, Edward, why was I so confident that I could do it? What if I had killed her?!" I held her and started to walk away into the woods with her.

"You wouldn't have killed her, sweetheart. I would never have let you get that close. I saw what was happening and we stopped you, love. Don't worry. It's all over."

I glanced back at my family and said, "Bella and I won't be back. We'll meet you on the battlefield tomorrow night. I have my cell if you need to tell me anything pertinent." I continued on into the woods, holding my sobbing Bella tightly in my arms.

When Bella finally calmed, she looked up at me and whispered, "Where are we going, Edward?"

"Somewhere we can be alone for a few hours before we have to go to the battlefield. I need to be alone with you. I'm happy to see everyone, but I need time with just you. Is that alright? If not, we'll go back."

She buried her head in my chest and hugged herself tight to me. "That's fine, Edward. I'd rather be alone with you than with all those strange vampires."

I pressed on silently, still holding her to my chest bridal style. I headed towards the cave where we had hidden Emmett's Escalade. I had hidden some things there in case we ever needed to hide out. It would be a perfect place for us to stay together and be alone. Bella laid in my arms quietly with her head leaned against my shoulder, watching me. Soon, I felt her lips brush my neck. I looked down at her and caught her lips with mine, kissing her with all the love I felt inside for her.

We arrived at the cave and it was a beautiful night. The aurora was dancing in vivid colors across the sky. There were millions of stars twinkling brightly. The mountain was covered in snow but the cave entrance was open. I took Bella inside and set her on the soft dirt that lined the floor. I ran back to the corner where I had stashed a few things and pulled out a big blanket to put on the cave floor so we wouldn't get dirty. I also pulled out some dry wood and started a fire near the entrance for ambiance.

We laid down together, hand in hand, and stared out at the sky. Words had left us both. We were together and that was all that mattered.

I turned on my side and leaned up on my elbow to look down on the beauty at my side. I reached up to brush back her hair and traced a finger along the side of her face and down her jaw. She was staring up at me and I felt as though I could see forever in her eyes.

"I love you so much, Bella. I wish that I could show you just how much." Her smile warmed my cold heart. She reached up and put her hand on my face, pressing her palm to my cheek.

"If you love me anything like I love you, Edward, it consumes you. You have been so patient with me and all of my shortcomings. I don't know what I would do without you."

I smiled down at her while I answered, "Bella, you are my responsibility. My love for you makes me responsible for your well-being and the fact that I changed you makes me responsible for your training. I could never leave you alone to fend for yourself. I love you so much, Bella, and I want you to succeed in every way. I look forward to the days when we can go anywhere and do anything together. Traveling the world with you is going to be so exciting. I want to share everything with you."

"I can't wait. I hope that we have the chance to travel like that together."

"We will, love," I assured her. I leaned in to kiss her and relished the feel of her lips, soft and supple against mine. Our mouths moved together in a silent dance each attempting to obtain dominance over the other's. Our tongues joined in the dance and Bella moaned against my mouth. Our bodies were pressed together and we lithely moved against each other.

Bella's arms found their way up and around my neck, her hands fisting into my hair. I had never grown tired of her doing that, and I never would. She halted our kiss and stared into my eyes again, caressing my cheek with her small, soft hand.

"Edward," she whispered.

"Mmm hmmm," I replied, smiling down at her, twirling a lock of her hair in my finger.

"I can't bear the thought of losing anyone," she said with sadness in her voice.

I kissed her tenderly as I responded, "I know, love. Me either. But, we are as ready as we are ever going to be. The only thing left to do now is wait."

"Do you know all of those vampires that are showing up at the house?"

"Most of them," I nodded.

"Do they all know that I am the reason they are coming here?"

"Bella, you are not the only reason they are coming here. Aro and Caius were just looking for an excuse. Marcus does whatever they want to do because he is so miserable in his own existence that he doesn't make decisions of his own anymore. They see Carlisle as a threat is all. They are power hungry and don't want anyone challenging them. I'm sure that their expectation is that we will agree to go with them or they will kill us all. I'm quite sure that they don't expect us to be over thirty strong not counting the wolves and truthfully, I'm not sure how many wolves there are. There seem to be more than there used to be, but with all the activity, I haven't been able to get a real count. Right now, I'm more concerned about the well-being of the wolves. The more I think about it, the more I realize that we put them in danger by asking them here. The Volturi see werewolves as mortal enemies of the vampire, and usually they are, but these wolves are different. They are not normal werewolves."

Bella looked interested and urged me to continue, "What do you mean, Edward?"

"Well, remember when you asked me about all the legends of vampires?"

"No, I guess not."

"Oh, well, that was when you first figured out, you know, what I was."

"Edward?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"When this is all over, if we survive, would you share all of your memories of us when I was human with me?"

I chuckled. Of course, my vampire mind remembered everything in very vivid detail. Every conversation that Bella and I ever had was emblazoned on my mind. "I will, Bella. As soon as this is over, we will do that."

"Thank you, Edward. I'm sorry to interrupt, please continue."

"Well, there are myths about werewolves just like there are about vampires. Werewolves, in the traditional sense of the word, are very similar to vampires in that usually their bite infects a human and the human becomes a werewolf. Our werewolves are different. They have had this passed down to them through generations. None of them have ever been infected by a bite. It is part of their genetic make up. Therefore, I don't believe that they are true werewolves, instead, they are shapeshifters. When their first ancestors changed, it could have been into any animal, but they chose wolves, because of the vampires I suppose. So, for all intents and purposes, they are werewolves, but they are werewolves by choice, not by infection. I need to make sure that Aro, Caius, and Marcus understand that. These werewolves are humans that just happen to become wolves, and they can do it at will. They don't have to wait until the full moon comes out or any such anomaly to change them, they can phase themselves."

"That makes a lot of sense, Edward. Do you think that Aro, Caius, and Marcus will buy it?"

I sighed. I had been thinking about this a lot over the last week or so. I had looked at it from every angle, and this was the only angle that I could see that might protect the werewolves from being surreptitiously destroyed. I had figured out that I was not going to be spared from touching Aro's hand and letting him share my gift. I was not going to be immune from sharing all of my memories of Bella. He would have them. He would be able to use them against me, against her. He was going to be able to see every conversation we ever had, every touch, every stolen kiss, every beautiful memento of our time together that was tucked away into the recesses of my mind would be his. Suddenly, I was curious about something. Something I had never thought of before.

"Bella, I just had a thought, an idea really."

"What is it, Edward?"

I sat up, excited at what I had thought of. I snatched my phone out of my pocket, wondering if there were any cell towers remotely close to where we were. "Bella, I still can't read your mind unless you let me, and even when you do let me, I don't have access to all of it, I only have access to what you give me access to."

Bella sat up now, excitement spreading across her face. "That's right, Edward. I can choose what I want you to see. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"When our minds are connected, your 'shield' protects my mind too!"

"Edward! This is wonderful! We need to figure this out, right away!" She jumped up and started out of the cave.

"Bella, wait. Let me see if I can get through to Alice."

She stopped and turned, rolling her eyes. "Your cell is not going to work up here, Edward. Let's just go!"

"Wait, Bella. I have bars." I dialed Alice's number and waited. It took some time to connect, but her phone started ringing and Jasper answered it right away.

"What's up, Edward?"

"I need to talk to Alice, is she there?"

"She's having a vision. You want to wait?"

"Yes, this is important."

"Edward, I think we need to meet this afternoon at the battle ground. Will that work for you?"

"Yeah, Jas. That works."

"Alright, Edward. Here's Alice. I think she is okay now." Jasper's words had me worried. What was going on with Alice?

"Edward?" I had never heard Alice's voice sound so down or so weak.

"Alice? What's wrong with you? What's going on?"

"The visions, Edward. I'm exhausted from the visions. Jasper and I are leaving for the night, too. I can't handle it anymore."

"I just wanted to run something by you, Alice. Is that alright or do you want me to wait?"

"Does it have something to do with Bella's ability to communicate with you and her mind shielding yours?"

"Yes."

"It will work, I think. When we meet at the battleground this afternoon, you will need to test it with Zafrina. Her ability should not work on Bella. If she opens her communications with you and Zafrina tries to use her ability on either of you, it shouldn't work."

"Alright, Alice. What time?"

"Five o'clock, Edward. Don't be late. Make sure Bella feeds before you get there."

"See you then." Alice hung up. She sounded terrible. I was worried about her. The mixture of all of the vampires around and the wolves was making her visions almost constant, but in pieces. She wasn't seeing a clear picture of anything with the wolves around, and with all the vampires, she was seeing constantly. Anything that the wolves had decided to become involved in had disappeared for her completely. She felt less than adequate because she didn't know what the outcome was going to be. I realized that we all depended on her ability too much. I made a mental note to buy her something nice when this was all over in thanks for everything that she had put herself through to get us to this point.

"See, Bella? We don't have to go now. Come back here, you," I said playfully. She jumped from where she stood and landed gracefully in my arms.

"What did you have in mind, big boy?"

"Mmmmmmm… I was thinking of having you for dinner, dessert, breakfast, and lunch. How does that sound?"

Rather than answering me, she wrapped her arms around my neck and locked our lips together in an amazing kiss. I dropped back onto the blanket I had laid out and she landed on top of me, pressing every inch of her body against mine. She felt delicious lying on top of me. I reached for the hem of her sweater and pulled it slowly over her head. Her chestnut hair fell from inside the sweater and surrounded my face with her smell. She still smelled so sweet and pure that I was in heaven. The strawberry scent of her shampoo assaulted my sense of smell for a moment before her lilac and freesia scent overwhelmed me. It was the consummate aphrodisiac to me just to be near Bella and smell her.

Our lips came back together and I felt alive in her arms. I flipped us over quickly so that she was beneath me and kissed my way down her jaw. We were both contented yet heavyhearted and when I looked up and our eyes locked, I could see it. We both had the sinking feeling that this would be our last time together. We didn't know what the next days would bring.

I sat up and unbuttoned my shirt slowly, watching her every reaction. Her eyes never left me. She watched my hands as they worked the buttons, then reached up to help me. I looked down at her perfect fingers nimbly unbuttoning my shirt, touching my skin as she went. After my shirt was off, I took one of her hands in mine and studied every crease, every line. I never wanted to forget one single wonder her body held for me. I kissed each of her fingers in turn, savoring the taste of each one of them, memorizing every curve. When I had finished with one hand, I went to the other, repeating my actions. I traced my finger along the lines on her palm, kissing each knuckle, each bend. She was watching me curiously, but with understanding. We both wanted to cherish every second we had together. We never wanted to forget it.

After seeing that each of her knuckles and every line of her hand had been explored by my hands and my mouth, I moved higher and kissed the hollow at the inside of her elbow, amazed at how different her skin was there than it was on her hands. Even with her vampire skin, there were subtle nuances that I didn't want to miss from one body part to another.

I made my way up her arm to caress her shoulder with my lips, paying attention to each reaction her body had to each place that my lips touched. I stole a glance at her face and Bella's eyes were closed, just the hint of a smile on her lips. One hand was in my hair lazily fingering the strands, her other hand resting softly on her stomach.

Once I was satisfied that I had explored every inch of skin that her shoulders had to offer, I moved to her neck. She hummed in appreciation when my lips grazed her earlobes. A soft moan escaped her lips when I kissed and caressed the hollow behind her ear, then gently moved my lips down the side of her neck, making sure that I detected every trace of reaction that her body gave me. With my sudden determination to make sure that I had memorized everything about her, it all felt new to me in a way that it never had before. Bella was not pushing me to rush. She was lying back enjoying my ministrations to her body and for that I was thankful. There would be nothing rushed, nothing animal, nothing rough about our love-making that night. We would enjoy each other and revel in the beauty of things that we never noticed before.

Satisfied that I had sufficiently explored Bella's neck, I sat up to smile down at her lovely face. Her large eyes fluttered open and she stared up at me questioningly. I watched her as I ran one hand down her body from her shoulder to her belly, swirling my finger around her belly button before gently roaming across her breasts. I paused momentarily to palm one lovely breast and feel her nipple pebble against my hand. My hand then made its way to her other breast to watch, in amazement, as the mere touch of my fingers against her skin caused that nipple to pebble as well. As many times as I had committed Bella's body to my memory, I was still able, that night, to come up with new things.

My fingers traced a line down her ribs to the waistband of her jeans. I grinned as Bella's hips involuntarily twitched when I unbuttoned her jeans, unzipped them, and pulled them off in one swift motion. I kissed her belly, swirling my tongue in her belly button and causing her to gasp. Not wanting to move too fast, I knelt beside her, and hooked my thumbs in her panties and pulled them off.

I decided that while I was at her feet, I would stop there and work my way back up, memorizing every millimeter of her from the feet up. I picked up one foot and admired it, tracing my fingers along the curve of her arch, kissing each toe, memorizing each line there. Bella giggled when I was kissing her toes and it was the most beautiful sound in the world. Wanting nothing more than to hear it again, I picked up her other foot and repeated my actions with it.

As I moved past her foot, I traced the outline of her ankle and kissed the bone that protruded there, then worked my way up one leg until I found myself kissing and licking the hollow behind her knee. She purred at that so I did the same with her other leg. When I reached her luscious thighs, I massaged them with my hands, watching her face watch me. "Turn over," I murmured, and she complied. She laid her head on her crossed arms with her hair splayed out around her in a shroud of beauty.

I leaned over to kiss her back and trace every muscle, every curve. I kneaded her muscles gently and she whispered how good it felt. The orange glow of the fire licked across her body making the scene almost surreal. I never wanted that night to end.

When I was done memorizing everything about her, she rolled over and sat up, taking me in her arms, kissing me with a fiery passion that rivaled the sun's power. I pulled her onto my lap and her legs found their way around me. It was incredibly erotic. She reached between us and deftly undid my jeans. Without losing her position, I stood and let my jeans drop, pushing my boxers with them, then I stepped out of them. And then, there we were, just two people who loved each other more than anything else in the world. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else existed. There was only us and our love. We made love to each other with a passion and urgency that neither of us had ever felt before. The feeling that it could be our last day never left me. I knew that Bella was feeling it too. We didn't speak much. There was no need for words. There were no words left to us. The only thing that we knew for sure was that we loved each other desperately and needed each other fiercely. We were two halves of a whole that could not exist one without the other.

Night changed to morning, morning changed to mid-day, and finally Bella and I found ourselves in the position of needing to go meet our family at the chosen place for us to meet the Volturi. We dressed in silence and ran through the mountains to the chosen location. The internal voices of many vampires and many werewolves assaulted my mind and I had to concentrate to think over the din. Not only that, there were many voices speaking aloud. When we came in sight of the clearing, the sight we saw took both of our breath away. Sixteen huge wolves were sparring with the vampires.

"Edward! There are sixteen of them!"

"I see that, Bella. Amazing."

When we entered the valley, several of the wolves howled and two of them ran off towards the woods. I could tell by the fur coloring that it was Jacob and Seth. I was surprised that Jacob had stayed, considering what had happened. It was difficult for me to pick out particular voices without concentrating, but I could tell that Jacob and Seth had just phased and were dressing. Obviously, they were coming out to meet us. Bella and I headed towards where they were.

When Jacob stepped out of the woods in his cut-off shorts, Bella grabbed my hand. "It's alright, Bella. He's not mad at you," I whispered.

"He should be. I tried to kill his new wife."

"Bella, stop worrying. If you would have, it would have been his fault for bringing her."

Seth ran over and hugged us both, as was his usual greeting. Jacob was a bit more reserved. I could tell that he wasn't sure if Bella was going to attack him or not. "Jacob, she's not interested in eating you. Come on over and say hello," I said, trying to break the ice a bit.

Jacob grinned and moved more quickly. When he arrived close to where we were standing he said, "Bella, you look wonderful. There are no words for how beautiful you are, even if you are a stinky old vampire now."

Bella laughed and said, "Well, thank you, I think, Jacob. And Jacob, I'm really sorry that I lost control with your wife. She was very pretty. Did you imprint or just fall in love?"

"Is there a difference, Bella?"

Bella and I had both always thought that imprinting was creepy. It wasn't so bad until Quil had imprinted on Claire and at that point, we decided that imprinting was madness. Imprinting on a two-year-old just wasn't normal. Jacob had assured Bella that there was nothing weird about it, and I suppose in his mind there wasn't, but it was just too much for me to imagine. On the other hand, in a way, I had imprinted on Bella when we met. For me, it was her scent, and the fact that I couldn't read her mind, and her beauty, and her intelligence, and her vulnerability. Who was I kidding? I fell in love at first sight. Through the conversations we had, I figured out that Bella did too. I pondered how that was different, yet the same, as imprinting.

"Well, Jacob, I guess there isn't much of a difference, as long as she is a grownup," Bella said with a smile. Jacob laughed.

"May I hug you, Bella?"

"Of course, Jake," she answered, and stepped towards him with her arms out wide. They hugged, and when Bella stepped back, she said, "How are things going here?" with a wave of her arm.

"Great, although everything stinks to high heaven like vampire!"

I chuckled and Bella giggled. "Have you met everyone, Jacob?"

"Yeah, I've met everyone. I don't remember all their names. The ones I do remember are Vladimir and Stefan. Those guys are _freaky!_ They finish each other's sentences!"

I chuckled again. "Yes, they are a bit strange. They have been alive for three thousand years though. I suppose they have earned the right to be a bit weird."

"They don't like these Volturi fella's that are coming, do they?"

"No," I said, shaking my head, "they don't. They used to be the coven that had all the power over the vampires until the Volturi killed the rest of their coven and took it away. I think they would like to regain their authority, however, I don't think that anyone should have that kind of power. We should all be able to govern ourselves without fear of any one coven having absolution over the rest of us. That, to me, is really what this is all about. The Volturi don't deserve the kind of power that they have."

Seth had been listening to us talk with great interest and was thinking things over in his mind. Seth's mind was wonderful to read because he was so happy and never had a bad thought about any of us. He considered anyone that was our friend to be his friend. Jacob wasn't so sure about some of our guests.

"I can understand what you are saying," Jacob said thoughtfully. He was thinking that he wouldn't like foreigners having power over his pack either.

"When did the pack grow to sixteen wolves, Jake?" Bella was watching all the wolves running around below us.

"Oh, over the past few months a few more phased. Sam says he thinks that this is all of them for now. The elders say the same." Jacob shrugged as though it were no big deal that sixteen children of his tribe had been fated to the same existence. I supposed that he would feel that way. To them, it was an honor. To me, it was a curse.

"Well, Jake, we need to get down there. Bella still hasn't met some of the vampires yet and we have a couple of things we need to work on before tomorrow." I extended my hand and Jacob shook it.

"If we don't get a chance to talk again, good luck, Edward." He hugged Bella again and turned to run into the woods. Jacob was different. He seemed more grown up and not so antagonistic. He also seemed to feel honored that we had asked the pack to come help and hopeful that they would do a good job.

Seth walked down to the bottom of the valley with us, chattering nonstop about the new wolves, wrestling with Emmett, meeting all the new vampires, and the upcoming fight. He had me laughing aloud at all of his antics. Once we had walked into the swarm of over thirty vampires, Seth took his leave and headed back to the pack saying he would be back later.

Jasper waved us over to where he was talking to Vladimir and Stefan. I poked Bella in the side and when she looked at me, I pointed at my head. She understood and opened her connection immediately.

"_That's Vladimir and Stefan Jasper is talking to, Bella. They are extremely old and extremely eccentric. Don't let them intimidate you. Personally, I refer to them as 'Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum.' You'll see why."_

"_They are the ones that Jacob said finish each other's sentences."_

"_Yes, they have been together for a very long time. It's almost as though they think with one mind."_

"_Kind of like us."_

"_Yeah, I guess so!" _I smiled at her as we approached Jasper and the two elder vampires.

Vladimir and Stefan stepped forward and each bowed their head to me. I nodded to them in return.

"Hello, Edward."

"It's been a long time."

"Vladimir, Stefan," I said. "I would like to introduce you to my wife, Isabella. She prefers to be called Bella."

Vladimir bowed his head to Bella and Stefan took her hand and kissed it. I could tell that Bella was embarrassed and didn't know what to do. I told her mentally to curtsy and speak to them. She did, and it was the cutest thing I had ever seen her do.

"It's so wonderful to meet the two of you finally. I have heard quite a lot about you," she said kindly.

"Ahhh, and we have heard…" Stefan said.

"…many wonderful things about you," Vladimir finished.

"_Okay, Edward? THAT is freaking me out a little bit."_

I had to stifle a chuckle. "Thank you both for coming to our aid," I choked out, trying not to laugh at Bella's thoughts of how they must be so old that they have gone insane. Then she began wondering at what age she and I would go insane, and if we would go insane together, or if I would go first since I was older.

"_Isabella!" _I warned her mentally. It would be very disrespectful of me to start laughing at these two elder vampires that made their way all the way from Romania just for a chance to fight the Volturi in our name. Of course, from their minds I could tell that they would not be fighting in our name, they would be fighting for their own benefit.

"We would never…"

"…give up a chance…"

"…to give Aro, Caius…"

"…and Marcus a run for their money."

"_Edward, time to go before I start laughing in their faces."_

"Of course not," I answered them politely. "I would love to stay and catch up, but there are so many here that Bella has not yet met, and we have an experiment we would like to try with Zafrina if we can get her attention."

"Please, do not linger here with…"

"..us any longer. We know that you…"

"…are very busy right now. We will…"

"…hope to catch up later."

I nodded to them, hoping they wouldn't find me rude. "Jasper, was there something you needed to discuss with us?"

"I'll talk to you about it later, Edward." _"We need to talk some strategy and I don't want to do it with these two."_

I nodded to him and took Bella's hand, leading her away. We stopped to say hello to Peter and Charlotte, who were nomad friends of Jasper's from his time with Maria. We continued on and met up with the Irish coven made up of Liam, Siobhan, and Maggie. It was always pleasurable to be around them. They were jolly folks. Maggie was a small woman with bouncy red curls who had a gift of knowing when she was being lied to. I relayed this to Bella.

"_That would have been a nice gift for me to have when I was human."_

"_I'm sorry, Bella. I will spend eternity making it up to you."_

She glanced over at me with laughter in her eyes. _"Alright, Edward. Eternity will be a start."_

I shook my head. _"Silly, Bella."_

I then relayed to Bella what Siobhan's gift was. She had the ability to imagine the outcome she wanted for an event, and have it happen that way. However, Siobhan didn't believe in herself enough. Her gift had a tendency to be wasted because she didn't think that she really affected the outcome of the events. As we approached them, they were curious about Bella. They, of course, knew who she was, but wanted to meet her. I shook hands with Liam and hugged Siobhan, Maggie flounced over to me, much like Alice would, and hugged me hard, kissing me on the cheek.

"Edward! Top 'o the day to ya! Who's this beautiful wee lass on your arm?" I smiled at Liam and introduced Bella. He hugged her, as did Siobhan and Maggie. Bella was laughing at their Irish accents and talking to them animatedly. We had an enjoyable conversation before we moved on towards where Zafrina, Senna, and Kachiri who were from the Amazon.

"_That one is Zafrina," _I said silently to Bella, showing her with my mind which one I was talking about. The three women were very tall and had long arms, legs, and fingers. They had long black hair. Their clothing consisted of animal skins that didn't leave much to the imagination. Each of them wore a hide vest and tight pants that had leather laces on the sides. They were intimidating, but I knew them and knew that their look was more intimidating than they were.

"_She doesn't look very friendly, Edward."_

"_Don't worry, love," _I said back to her silently as we approached the three. I nodded to each of them and greeted them.

"Kachiri, Zafrina, Senna, how nice to see you here. This is Bella, my wife."

They all nodded and said hello to Bella and myself. Zafrina, who had obviously already talked to Alice, said, "I understand you want to do some experimentation, Edward."

"Yes, I suppose Alice told you what we wanted to determine."

"She did. Are you connected now?"

"Yes, we are."

She looked at Bella and said, "Drop the connection." Bella nodded and did so immediately. As soon as she did, I started having visions of being in a rich tropical rainforest. There were birds singing all around and a high waterfall with a blue pool beneath it was almost within my reach. Were it not for the din of inner voices I heard around me, I would have believed myself there. As suddenly as it started it stopped. I blinked and looked at Zafrina.

"Is that someplace near where you are from?" She nodded her head once and turned back to Bella.

"Open the connection again."

Bella did and said, _"What did you see, Edward?"_

I showed her a piece of the vision that Zafrina had given me. Zafrina said, "Are you ready?" I nodded and waited. Nothing. I could see that Zafrina was concentrating very hard, but I didn't see anything. I could still read her mind and knew that she was trying to show me a vision, but she couldn't. I could only hear the minds around us and Bella asking me if anything was happening yet.

"It's working. I can't see your vision Zafrina."

"Well, obviously her mind shields you as well."

I smiled. That was exactly what I was hoping for. We took our leave from Zafrina and the other Amazon women so we could go find Alice. I knew she was close by because I could see her constant and ever changing visions in my mind. She was a wreck. We found her huddled near some bushes with Rosalie and Emmett. As soon as Emmett saw us coming he jumped up and ran over to us.

"Bella, do you remember everything I taught you and everything we talked about?"

Bella smirked. "What do you take me for, Emmett? A human who can't remember her lessons?"

Rolling his eyes, Emmett said, "I was just making sure. Sheesh. You don't have to go all PMS on me."

"I don't _get_ PMS anymore, remember Emmett?" Bella said playfully, punching him in the arm.

I could see it coming, and was powerless to stop Emmett when he said, "Oh, so now you're just a bitch without an excuse?"

I spent about two milliseconds trying to decide whether to be angry or not when Bella, laughing, jumped on Emmett, took him down, pinned him to the ground, and growled at him, "That's right, and don't you forget it either big brother!"

Rosalie collapsed back onto the ground in fits of laughter. Emmett's booming laugh caused all of the vampires to look our direction, and all the wolves to howl. I high-fived Bella when she walked back over to me. Never in his vampire life had anyone given Emmett such an even match in orneriness as Bella did.

Emmett stood up, looked around at everyone laughing at him, and bowed deeply. "My next show is in an hour. I'll be here all night. Thank you!"

I shook my head and headed for Alice. She was sitting on the ground with her knees drawn up and was holding her head. Her thoughts were everywhere. I touched her arm and she looked up at me with sorrow and frustration in her eyes. _"I can't do this, Edward. The visions won't stop. The wolves are giving me a headache. I can't stay."_

I bent down and whispered softly, "Go, Alice. Stay away until you have to come back. Do you want me to go with you?"

She shook her head and stood up slowly. She looked around at the rest of the family, Carlisle and Esme just having joined us, and said, "I'm sorry. I'll be back when I know the arrival is eminent. I just can't take being here. I guess…" her voice broke, "…I'm just not strong enough," and she ran. _"I'll text you when I get a firm grip on something, Edward."_

I felt badly for her, but knew it was the right thing for her to do. She would be worthless to us by morning if she continued to have so many changing visions so fast throughout the night. Jasper ran over to find out what was going on and I explained it to him. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Alice and then began talking strategy with all of us. We all agreed to his plan and he and Carlisle began the task of bringing everyone together to announce it.

That night, many of the wolves changed to human form and joined us. Seth was constantly at my side. Some of the vampire groups were arguing with each other and I knew that it was a good thing that we didn't have much longer to wait, else there would be an all-out war between factions of vampires before the Volturi even arrived. Jacob sat with our family and talked to everyone as though he had never harbored any ill will towards anyone. Sam even joined us for a couple of hours and talked socially which was something new to everyone. He had always been all business where we were concerned, but it seemed that things were different for everyone that night. Around three in the morning, I received the text from Alice. It said, simply, _"Sunrise."_ Looking at the clock on my phone, that meant we only had a few more hours before they would arrive.

I took Seth aside and we went for a short walk. I needed to make sure that he stayed safe. I knew the other wolves could take care of themselves, but I was worried about Seth since he was so close to me and the rest of the family. I was afraid that he would not follow the plan and run if we were to meet our demise. He would want vengeance and would fight to the death to get it.

"Seth, I want you to promise me that if something happens to me, or anyone else in my family, that you will keep to the plan and run. I don't want you hurt."

Seth rolled his eyes, "I'm not going to get _hurt, _Edward, and I'm not scared!"

I put my hand on his shoulder and said, "I understand that you are not scared, Seth, but I am. I would be mortified if anything ever happened to you. Please stay close by me unless something bad happens. If it does, get out of here, as fast as you can, and don't look back. Promise me, Seth. Please."

He considered me for a moment, and I could tell by his thoughts that he was really struggling with making this promise to me, but finally, in resignation, he said, "Okay, Edward. If it will make you feel better, I promise."

I hugged him tight and said, "It does make me feel better. Thank you. You're a great kid, Seth."

Seth actually blushed and said, "Thanks, Edward. You're pretty great yourself." Then he punched me in the gut and laughed. I shook my head at him again. I was really going to miss having him around when he went back home.

We headed back to where everyone else was gathered and spent another hour together before it was time for everyone to take their places. The wolves were going to be in the woods at a higher altitude. That way, they would be able to watch what was happening and intervene at the appropriate time if needed. All of the vampires who had come to our aid were going to be in the woods as well, but just on the perimeter of the valley. The Volturi would sense the presence of everyone who was there, but they would not be able to see them and attack us all immediately. There were a few vampires who had decided if fighting broke out, they were not going to stay around, but wanted to show their support by staying until that point anyway. We appreciated each vampire and each of the Quileute that were there and thanked them all before they all went to their respective hiding places.

Carlisle, Jasper, and I were going to lead the meeting with the Volturi when they arrived, with Alice, Rosalie, and Esme right behind us. Bella and Emmett would be invisible. If things started to go badly, their job was to find Alec and make quick work of him. If we didn't neutralize Alec, all of us were dead. Alec's gift made the Volturi invincible and we all knew it. I had wanted to be the one to go with Bella, but Carlisle and Jasper had vetoed that, knowing that Aro would be looking for me and be suspicious if I were not visible. If Bella was not there, he would assume that she was afraid, but close by, because he would be able to smell her scent all around us. The Denali family were not going to be hiding either. They would be with us, but would not immediately go out to meet the Volturi. They would be hanging back to lead the charge if the need arose. Just before we all took our places, Tanya walked over to Bella and me. I could see in her thoughts that her intention was to apologize to Bella. I tried to shake my head at her to stop her, but she ignored me.

"Bella, I owe you an apology for my abhorrent behavior before we left. I know that you probably hate me, with good reason, but I hope that you understand that I am here to help your family because I care about all of them. I can see that you and Edward have a bond that will never be broken and I am happy for both of you. I'm sorry that I acted so irresponsibly. Can you ever forgive me?"

Bella looked from her to me and back again. She didn't speak, but nodded her head once. I still hadn't shared with Bella that Tanya had tried to kiss me and didn't particularly want to at that moment. Thankfully, even though Tanya was thinking about bringing it up, she didn't. That was a conversation that Bella and I would have to engage in much later when Tanya was far away. I didn't want it on Bella's mind while we were fighting for our lives.

Tanya went to join her family and the seven of us stood in a circle. I heard Alice's mind saying, _"I'm almost there!"_ so I turned to look towards the direction that she had left in and she was running towards us, looking like her old self. She had a smile on her face and glided quickly towards us. When she arrived, she took her place in our circle between Bella and Jasper and she grabbed both of their hands. It was quiet. We all silently acknowledged the love we felt for one another. Reading all of their minds was gut-wrenching for me and I suddenly wished that I didn't have the ability to do so. I glanced at Alice, sharing her pain once again for the gifts we had both received. Her eyes seemed to show that she understood. She nodded her head once, and we broke the circle, slowly moving into position to wait. I hugged Bella and kissed her tenderly before she walked away with Emmett, stealing glances back at me over her shoulder.

The last words she said to me aloud that night were, "I love you forever, Edward."

"And I love you, Isabella Cullen. Forever."

Emmett and Bella disappeared, leaving me with the sight of her looking over her shoulder at me, fear in her eyes. I stood on Carlisle's left side and Jasper stood on his right. We stood silently and waited for our doom to arrive.

As predicted, just as the first rays of sunlight hit the sky, Aro, Caius, and Marcus appeared on the top of the hill to the East.

**_End Note: PLEASE do not forget to review! Your reviews are like the air to me! Sorry for the evil cliffy... well, really, I'm not. Trust me, it will be worth it... Less than 200 reviews to go before Edward does his chocolate/whipped cream/cherries/sprinkles strip dance for all of you so let's get crackin'!_**


	26. Chapter 26 Carnage

_**A/N Let the carnage begin! Don't forget to review! We only have about 100 more reviews to get to the magic number!**_

**_Lillie ~ You rock big time! Thanks for everything! I couldn't do it without you!_**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight, as you all know. I do own the Epic Battle that is about to ensue because yeah, I want carnage, not tea and crumpets. We're not going to sit by a campfire and sing Kumbaya with the Volturi in this story. So there._

_**Edward**_

I nearly panicked. I didn't know for sure which direction Bella and Emmett had gone and I suddenly didn't want Bella anywhere near this whole thing. As if he could read my mind, Emmett's inner voice came in loud and clear. _It's now or never, Edward. We are safe for now. Go for it._

I glanced over at Carlisle and he nodded almost imperceptibly to me. He was mulling over whether he should speak first or wait for Aro to speak. Aro was thinking the same thing so I decided that I would solve the problem for them both.

"Greetings, Aro, Caius, Marcus," I called out. Jasper glanced at me. He was thinking of the fact that they were higher than we were and that gave them an advantage. He wanted me to call them down from the hill. He hoped they would bring the rest of their entourage with them so we would know exactly what we were up against. As it turned out, I didn't have to. The three of them were surrounded by seventeen other members of the guard, all cloaked in the same long cloaks they always wore.

I spotted Jane and Alec immediately to Caius' right. My eyes narrowed as I listened to their individual thoughts. Jane was determined that she was going to kill Bella. She had made it clear to every member of the guard that she was going to do it. She, apparently, had already decided that we were going to resist. I wondered if her decisions had spawned Alice's visions. Her mind seemed to be the most antagonistic of any of them. Aro was ready to talk. He would negotiate. Marcus was his usual glum self, although his mind was working over the relationships that he sensed nearby with great interest. I watched as he occasionally quickly touched Aro's hand to tell him what he was gleaning. Caius wanted nothing less than a complete slaughter, although he was willing to talk first and see if we would agree to their terms. Demetri, interestingly, was of the frame of mind that what they were doing was wrong. I would have liked to have had more time to concentrate on what he was thinking but Aro started gliding towards us. _Good._

Carlisle took a couple of steps forward. He was going over what he was going to say in his mind. I wasn't sure what he was going to decide until Aro met him in the valley. Aro's entire group stood only a step or two behind him, all of them looked us over with disdain, but several of them were glancing around to see where all the others were. They could smell them, but could not see them. I sensed the minds of the Denali family as they closed in behind us to show their support.

Felix was looking for Bella everywhere. I glared at him briefly. I would never forget their first meeting and Felix muttering, "Dibs." I turned my attention back to Carlisle and Aro who were now standing just a few feet from each other. Neither of them spoke for a time but Carlisle was the one to finally break the silence.

"Hello, old friend. I trust you had no difficulty finding us."

"Hello, Carlisle. No, we had no difficulty finding you at all. You have _all_ certainly made sure that your scents were quite easily found. Of course, with Demetri at our sides, we would have found you regardless. Are you going to introduce me to the rest of your coven, Carlisle, or must I guess who they are?"

"I will introduce you to my family, Aro. We much prefer family to 'coven.' We do not hold any authority over one another like that. We base our relationships on our love for each other. I'm sure that Marcus can verify that for you."

I listened to their minds carefully and watched Aro's eyes flicker towards Marcus. _I do not appreciate his sarcasm. Surely Marcus can see that Carlisle is nothing more than a coven leader, _Aro thought. Marcus was busy trying to detect a hint of loyalty to Carlisle that did not come with fondness. Caius interrupted my concentration.

"Where is the girl?" he asked with disdain in his voice. _I suppose they have made an attempt at hiding her, which is only going to make this worse for them._

I answered quickly, "She will be here soon, and yes, she has been changed," I added to dispel the doubts that several of them had.

Aro gazed at me intently and I knew he was trying to decide whether to force me to give him my memories or not. I stared defiantly back at him. If the plan that Bella and I had formed worked, he wasn't going to be getting much from me that he liked.

Carlisle stepped up to try to calm the increasing tension. "Aro, Caius, Marcus, and company, I would like to introduce you to Esme, my wife, Alice, my daughter, whom you have met, Jasper, Alice's husband, Rosalie, my other daughter, and Edward, my son, whom you have also met. Behind us are the Denalis, whom we also regard as family, although they do not live with us. I think you know them. My son Emmett, who is Rosalie's husband, and, of course, Bella, will be along."

Before Aro had a chance to respond, Caius spit, "While it's endearing that you refer to them as your family, wife, children, you, Carlisle, are nothing more than a coven leader who appears to be recruiting. Where is the girl? She is the one who brought us here. You knew we were coming! Produce her at ONCE!"

The guard all started shifting positions and I could hear them all thinking about how they had planned for things to go. They were preparing for battle. I was uncomfortable with this. They were too close and our defenses were not what we had wanted them to be prior to any fighting breaking out, if there even had to be fighting. I took a step backwards. It was a signal. The Denalis immediately flanked us and vampires started coming out of the woods slowly. Bella immediately popped into my mind.

"_What do you want us to do, Edward?"_

"_Stay close. I'm not sure what's going to happen right now. You best stay with me now though."_

"_I'm here, Edward. Emmett and I are closer than you think."_

I was so relieved to hear her voice in my head. It gave me some semblance of calm to know that she was nearby and safe. Emmett was, of course, having a blast being invisible with Bella.

_Dude, have you DONE this yet? It freaking rules! We could walk right up behind them all and kill them before they ever knew what hit them! I can't wait to play around with this later, man. _I really wanted to be able to shout at him to shut up, but he was mildly amusing. Heaven knew I needed the amusement right about then.

"Now, Caius. I'm quite sure that the Cullens do not intend to incite difficulties between us. This is intended as a friendly meeting, remember? All of you can step down your posturing," Aro said, with a wave of his hand. The guard all visibly relaxed except for Jane and Alec who were standing side by side with wicked grins on their faces. "Now, Carlisle, we need to discuss what we are going to do to resolve our problem. Where is Isabella?"

Carlisle's anger, so carefully hidden for centuries, was rising within him. Not only did he feel that what they were doing was unfair, he felt that they were picking on him and his family unnecessarily. "What is the intent of your visit, Aro?"

"I am merely here to assess young Isabella's abilities, Carlisle." Aro glanced around at all the vampires standing around the perimeter of the valley and continued, "Apparently, you were under the impression that something else was going on here."

Jasper, sensing Carlisle's growing frustration, stepped up to speak. "Aro, obviously you already know about my wife's abilities, which means that you are aware we know exactly what is on your minds and what is going to happen here. Shall we dispense with the bullshit and get down to business? We all know that you are not here to socialize."

Aro glared at Jasper for a moment and I heard the insults hit his mind before his mouth opened. I cringed as Aro's verbal attack on Jasper began. Jane and Alec continued to grin wickedly and I could tell by their thoughts that things were going as planned. They intended to provoke us into attack mode. Alec would then unleash his fury upon us and it would be all over after that. The only thing holding them all back was Bella's absence. It was good that she had gone invisible or the whole thing might have already been over.

"You should be more respectful of your elders, _Whitlock._ I don't recall addressing you. I know who you are and where you came from. I could have you destroyed right now on general principle because of your crimes when you were with Maria and no one would have any room to argue with me. It would do you well to stay quiet and let the coven leaders work this out." Aro's disapproving glare pierced through Jasper. I had nothing but sympathy for my brother at that point in time. He was able to take a lot, but being reminded of his 'crimes' when he was with Maria was almost too much for him. He had probably forgotten that Aro had stolen all of mine and Alice's memories while we were in Volterra. Jasper raised his eyes and as the plan unfolded in his mind, his eyes narrowed.

"My apologies for being disrespectful, _Aro._ I certainly did not mean to insult any of you." I watched in amazement as Jasper started backing away. His thoughts assaulted my mind. _Keep them talking, Edward. If Bella is listening, have her and Emmett go into the woods and meet me. We are going to appear together, then we are going to give the impression that we have left. The three of us are going to attack from behind. This is going to go awry quickly. Try to keep them from attacking until this all gets into place._

Bella answered immediately, of course. "_We're on our way, Edward."_ Had I not been able to read the minds of everyone around me, I would have been terrified. As it were, things were actually starting to look as though they could go in our favor after all.

"We've wasted enough time, Carlisle. Edward? Where is your wife?"

I looked at him and shrugged. "I don't know, Aro. She should be here any minute."

His eyes became slits. "What do you mean 'you don't know'?"

"I am still unable to read her mind, Aro. Therefore, I don't know what she is doing. I would like to be able to, but I can't."

"Interesting."

Behind me, I heard Jasper thinking through how his strategy was going to work. He had found Bella and Emmett, rather, they had found him, and their appearance was eminent. He was motioning for the other vampires to advance slightly.

Aro glanced at Marcus and said, "What do you make of all these visitors, Marcus?" Marcus' hand flashed to Aro's and touched him briefly. Aro's thoughts shifted immediately to what Marcus was showing him. Apparently, Marcus had our guests pretty well pegged. Aro was mulling over the thought that several of them intended to stand with us even if our negotiations came to violence, but he triumphantly noted that not all of them held loyalty to us. They could be easily swayed to side with the Volturi, or so he thought. Of course, some of them could be swayed to any side that benefited them.

Carlisle was becoming restless and wanted them to get on with whatever they intended to do. "Aro, we have a good idea regarding the nature of your visit. Why don't we dispense with all the pleasantries and get on with it."

"As you wish, Carlisle. Your coven now, supposedly, consists of eight vampires. At least three of these vampires have special 'gifts,' if not more. We have pondered this for a while and have decided that your coven has grown too large. There are a few options for you, but the end result is always the same. You cannot all stay together any longer."

Rosalie, who was growing more impatient and angrier as time passed, said, "What do you mean we can't stay together? How can you say we are a threat? We are peaceful. We keep a low profile. We mingle with the humans but we follow your rules. We don't pretend to exert power or authority over any other 'coven', as you call it. So, what is it, exactly, that you want?"

Aro gazed at Rosalie with interest. His thoughts flickered to Heidi and how alike she and Rosalie were. My heart began to sink. It was not just Alice, Jasper, and me that he wanted in Volterra, he now wanted Rosalie too. As soon as he met Bella, he would want her, and when he met Emmett, he would want him as well. Alice's visions confirmed my thoughts. They were going to ask us all to join them now, everyone but Carlisle and Esme. Things were certainly not going as planned.

"The very first thing that I desire, _Rosalie_, is to meet Isabella. I want proof that she was changed and we," he said, with a flourish of his hand, "would like to assess her abilities, if any. I think that, at the very least, you all should be interested in producing her…"

Aro stopped speaking mid-sentence when Jasper, Emmett, and Bella emerged from the woods. They ran to us and were by our sides in an instant. I smirked at Jane, who had doubted that I had even changed Bella. Bella's connection was still open to me and I was letting all of the thoughts of the Volturi, as well as others around us, go to her.

"_Gosh, Edward. I think Jane likes me even less now that I am a vampire than she did when I was human."_

"_I think you're right, love. I also think she's going to try to hit you with her little gift."_

Of course, as a test of her abilities, Jane was going to use her gift on her, as were several other of the Volturi. Bella stood next to me and squeezed my hand. Marcus' hand darted out to touch Aro's and the thought that he gave Aro was that Bella's bond with me was now stronger than it had been when she was human, as was mine with hers. Marcus was a bit confused by the bond that we shared. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but he knew that it was quite strong and it would take more than demands upon us to break it.

Jane stepped closer to Aro and briefly touched his hand. Aro glanced at her and nodded. I squeezed Bella's hand as Jane unleashed her fury on her. Bella stood silently, glaring at Jane. She didn't flinch, just glared at Jane with a hate that I had never seen in Bella. Jane was concentrating hard and was frustrated that Bella just stood, defiantly, before her, not flinching, backing down, or writhing on the ground in pain. I silently told Bella that if Jane turned her attention on me, she would have to release our connection. We didn't want them knowing yet that Bella's shield could protect my mind as well. Finally, Jane gave up, touched Aro's hand to share with him that Bella was still quite immune to her gift, and stalked away a few paces. Jane's thoughts continued to seethe and I was slightly unsure of what she was going to do. She seemed almost ready to attack.

Aro extended his hand to Bella and said, "You are exquisite Isabella." Bella did not extend her hand to him, in fact, she took a step backwards.

"Thank you," she said curtly. Aro took her backwards movement as a great insult so I spoke up quickly.

"Isabella, don't be rude to our guests. Let Aro kiss your hand. That's all he wants to do. Right, Aro?"

"But, of course," Aro said, with a nod.

Bella glanced sideways at me and dropped our connection as she reached her hand out to Aro. He quickly slid his hand under hers and raised her hand to his lips, marveling that he still could not read her mind. I felt a bit smug, but tried not to show it.

"See, Aro? Nothing has changed. She is still immune to mind reading and mind tricks," I said, glancing in Jane's direction.

"Quite remarkable," Aro said thoughtfully. He then turned his thoughts and his attention back to Carlisle. Bella immediately re-opened our connection and slipped her small hand back into mine.

"Well, Carlisle, you have certainly found a very talented lot to call your _family. _I need to confer with my fellow guard members for a few moments. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, Aro, go right ahead. Of course, you won't mind if we go converse with our friends as well."

Aro's eyes narrowed just in the slightest and he raised one eyebrow a very miniscule amount. "You may, I suppose, converse with your _friends_, Carlisle, but I must warn you against trying anything risky. We are prepared to destroy the lot of you if that is what it comes to, although I would prefer not to have to do that."

"I understand," Carlisle said before turning to head towards the vampires that were standing on the edges of the wooded area. _All of you come with me and get Bella out of there._ I glanced around at everyone, and we all turned and ran towards the edge of the woods. Carlisle knew, of course, that I would still be able to read the Volturis' minds from where we were going, but neither of us considered that Aro might have a clue at what distance I was able to read minds.

All of the other covens gathered around immediately. Sam, Seth, and Jacob also stepped out of the woods, in human form, to join us. Carlisle spoke first. "This is it everyone. If you do not want to fight, now is the time to leave. They've already decided they want Bella and they don't even know for sure what she is capable of."

Bella gasped. "Carlisle, how do you know that? Edward and I have been…"

"Shhh!! Trust me, Bella. I know. I can see it in Aro's eyes. He is over there right now trying to convince them to take you, Edward, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett. He'll kill Esme and me. If that's what you all want, I know that I would, and I think I can speak for Esme here, sacrifice ourselves for the rest of you to live on."

"Absolutely NOT!" Alice said. "No one is sacrificing themselves for anyone else! I can't see the outcome, but the vision where we all die is gone, and that's all I care about. We're going to stay alive and we're going to stay together. Edward?"

"Marcus is rather confused by our relationships. He's never seen anything like it. He can't discount that we are bound by something other than simple loyalty. As for the rest of them, they don't care, they want a decision to be made and they want to get down to it. Caius, Jane, and Alec want to kill us all."

Jasper looked at Bella, then Emmett, then nodded his head once, giving them the signal to become invisible again. They walked over to the Irish coven and walked off into the woods with them, talking loudly and animatedly about a nearby bear sighting. Nonchalant was our new defense. The rest of us mingled in amongst the other vampires. The entire group surrounded Sam, Seth, Jacob, and me. We stood in the middle talking over a din of voices from all the other vampires.

"Sam, if you want out, now is the time."

"We came to help, Edward. We're not leaving now."

"As soon as they make a decision over there, we'll know what steps we have to take. We do not want to be the first to attack, but in truth, we won't be. Alec will attack first, and as soon as he starts, Bella and Emmett are going to take care of him. If you see that happen, that's your signal. If we destroy Alec, they are going to be out for death no matter what."

Sam reached out to shake my hand and said, "Good luck, Cullen."

"Thanks, Sam."

Seth threw his arms around me and squeezed tight. "I'll see you when it's over, Edward," he said before racing in the woods.

Jacob thrust his hand out as well, "See you later, Edward. Good luck."

"You too, Jacob."

"Sure, sure. I don't need luck, but I'll take it."

"Alright, Jake."

Jake disappeared into the woods when I heard Aro's mind say, _"So be it. If they do not accept the proposal, Alec will attack. I pity them and us if they don't except. They are very talented. They would be well taken care of forever with us."_

I nodded at Carlisle and said, _"Bella? Did you hear that?" _inside my mind.

"_We're almost there already, Edward. We were eavesdropping on their conversation." _Curious that she didn't let me in on that.

Aro called to Carlisle and Carlisle stepped towards him, but did not walk out to meet him in the valley. He remained in proximity to the rest of us, who were gathered next to the edge of the woods.

"Yes, Aro?"

"You must all join us."

"All?"

"Your coven, Carlisle. Several of your talented guests, are, of course, welcome too, but we are mostly interested in your coven for now. If we find that there are those of you who would not be of benefit to us, we will set you free with the condition that you cannot form another large coven."

"And if we don't choose to go?"

"You'll be signing your death warrants, Carlisle. I would think about that hard before you make a decision not to go."

I concentrated on Alec for a moment and noted that he was waiting for Aro to flick a finger at him. I stared at Aro's hands determinedly. I was not going to have Aro flick that finger at Alec without my seeing it first.

"So, our choices are to either leave everything we have behind and go with you, or die? Is that it, Aro? Have you become so shallow and so insecure that join or die is the only thing you can come up with?"

Caius was seething. He whispered to Aro to give the kill order. Marcus was intently watching an Eagle fly over. Demetri was… wait… what WAS Demetri doing? He appeared to be staring at Kate, and was, enamored with her. What an interesting turn that was. I turned my attention back to Aro in time to see him flick his finger towards Alec. I stiffened immediately and immediately, a light mist started to creep across the valley. It was coming from Alec. "Carlisle," I said quietly.

"I see it," he whispered.

"Stay away from it," I whispered to anyone in the general vicinity. Alec was standing at the end of the front line of Volturi guard looking rather pleased with himself.

And so it began.

I listened to Bella's mind as she opened it up and let me hear what was going on between her and Emmett. Emmett was trying to silently direct her how to rip off Alec's head, but neither of them could see the other. Finally, I mentally told Bella how to do it. Apparently, Emmett felt strongly that it should be her. Meanwhile, the mist from Alec was approaching us all slowly. I knew if it reached us, we would all be paralyzed. All that would be left after that was Jane torturing us while the rest of the guard made quick work of us.

Then, it happened. Alec's head popped off and shot across the valley towards us. Jasper jumped up and knocked it to the ground, immediately setting fire to the dry wood that had been gathered behind us. Alec was still talking and hissing, "You can't stop me. Just because you took my head off doesn't mean that I cease to exist."

I looked at Jasper and he winked at me as he tossed Alec's head into the fire. As soon as it hit the flames, the mist that was creeping across the valley disappeared. I turned smugly towards the rest of the Volturi, who were rather confused by this turn of events and watched as Alec's limbs were ripped off and chucked across the valley as well. Each piece that arrived was tossed surreptitiously into the fire.

Jane immediately unleashed her fury on anyone in range. Several vampires fell to the ground, writhing. I watched silently as her head, too, popped off and was lobbed across the valley. Aro, Caius, and Marcus all began screeching orders and took defensive positions behind the guard. I would have liked to have photographs of all of their faces when sixteen gigantic wolves flanked us on both sides. As soon as the wolves appeared, fifteen of them, and all of us charged each other. As I had asked him to, Seth remained where I could see him. He and Quil were the first wolves to reach the enemy vampires and they attacked one that I didn't know, immediately ripping off a limb that went flying.

There was a lot of shouting and all of them were panicked. They didn't know what was going on. Bella asked me if there was anyone else they needed to take care of and I told them to get out of there and get back to me. I needed to know where she was. Before I knew it, she and Emmett came flying out of the woods to join the melee. I was confused between all the shouting and the voices in my mind. There were limbs flying every direction, vampires were growling, and wolves were howling. Between keeping an eye on Seth, who was busily attacking his second vampire, and keeping an eye on Bella who was twisting the head off one of the guard, I was rather busy. That pretty well summed up for me who had gotten Alec and Jane. I ran over to help her. We made short work of tearing the limbs off the vampire she was working on. We made sure to get all the pieces lobbed into the fire.

I looked around to see what we needed to do next and if anyone needed help. I was appalled at what I saw. Several of the Volturi had ganged up on one of the wolves. From the blood that I saw, I couldn't be sure which one it was. Another bunch was busy with another vampire. All I saw was a swatch of strawberry blonde hair flying. We were all getting separated and there were fights going on all over the valley. Several of our vampire friends had taken off. The Volturi weren't going down without a fight. I looked around for Aro, Caius, and Marcus to find that, like the cowards they were, they were back on the hill. Caius was holding something in his hand, some sort of orb. Before I could make out what it was, Alice started screaming, "Bella! No! Don't!"

I turned to see Bella running towards the group of Vampires that had the werewolf down. There were three large fires burning and there were limbs flying from every direction into the fires. I heard Bella's scream as I ran, full speed, to where she was. I heard Seth hot on my heels. I realized, just before I arrived, that it was Jacob who was down. He was phasing back to human form, obviously not wanting to. The Volturi vampires were descending upon him. Bella jumped on one of their shoulders and twisted off his head. He reached up and grabbed her while his head was still in her hands. Upon my arrival, I grabbed one of his arms and pulled it off her, effectively pulling it off his body as well. Bella chucked his head towards one of the fires and fought his other arm off. She threw it to the ground and it was moving back towards the body it had been ripped off of.

Things were starting to go downhill quickly. Satisfied that Jacob was done for, the rest of the guard turned their attention on us. I heard a crackle and a hiss and turned just in time to see lightning coming out of the orb in Caius' hand. It was heading straight for Bella and I grabbed her around the waist, moving her just in time for the lightning to strike the vampire she had been fighting. His body burst into flames immediately. Bella's terrified eyes looked up at me and she dropped to the ground next to Jacob. He was a bloody mess. He had multiple bites and many broken bones. He was barely conscious. I realized that Bella was crying.

"You can heal this Jacob, you will be fine. Just hang in there. I'm going to get you out of here."

I whispered, "Bella, I don't think this is the time." She quickly replied.

"He's going to die if I don't get him out of here now, Edward. Go, help everyone else. I'll be right back."

I turned and things were a mess. There was carnage in every direction. Carlisle was sending Esme into the woods while he put one of his arms back on the stump that was dangling from his side. Lightning was flashing in every direction from Caius' orb and vampires were bursting into flame everywhere.

What had we done? I started searching for my family members. I already knew where Carlisle and Esme were. I found Emmett fighting off two members of the guard. Rosalie was heading towards him to help and I had never seen her hair in such a mess. I scanned the valley to find Jasper fighting with another member of the guard. Jasper seemed to have things under control. Alice was in trouble though. She had one member of the guard down and was trying to get his head to depart his body while another member of the guard was running up to attack her from behind. The wolves were all running around fighting. Seth had gone with Bella to get Jacob out of the valley and into the woods. There were bits and pieces of vampire everywhere on the ground. Most of the vampires who had come to help us were either gone or dead by this point from the lightning issuing forth from Caius' orb. Vladimir and Stefan were fighting their way towards the three Volturi leaders, dodging lightning flashes all the way. I ran to Carlisle.

"Carlisle, send Esme over to help Bella, she's got Jacob. It's not good."

Carlisle ran to Esme and relayed the message while I hurried over to help Alice who was screaming and fighting with the two vampires she was busy with. As soon as I arrived, I pulled the vampire off her back that she was struggling to get rid of. He was a very large and very strong vampire. I was having a time with him. Two wolves arrived and I recognized Sam and Embry. There was a lot of snarling and gnashing of teeth. We were entrenched in battle when the lightning struck the ground right next to Embry. Embry squealed and jumped backwards. That gave the vampire we were fighting just what he needed to break away.

I knew that if we didn't get back together soon, it was going to end badly. I helped Alice with the vampire she was fighting and as soon as we had dispatched him, we both ran to help Emmett and Rosalie. The big vampire we had been fighting had run into the fray and was fighting with Emmett by the time we got there. I was fighting with every bit of strength I had when I heard Bella's voice in my mind. _"Edward! I don't know what to do! Jacob is dying!"_

"_Isn't Esme there yet?"_

"_Yes, but Edward, he's dying! I need you or Carlisle! Help!"_

I was still fighting and trying to find Carlisle at the same time. I spotted him with Jasper and knew there was no way to get him away from where he was.

"_One of us will be there as soon as we can get away, Bella. Try to stop the bleeding. Put pressure on the wounds. If you hadn't noticed, we are a little busy here."_

I knew Bella was panicking, but I couldn't leave my family in the mess they were in. Finally, Emmett and I were able to take down the large, and very strong, vampire we were fighting. We tossed all the pieces we could find into the nearest fire and listened until his screams stopped. Emmett went to help Jasper, and I went to find Bella and Jacob. Bella appeared at the edge of the woods, running towards me. She told me in my mind that she left Esme with Jacob and was coming to help. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw the lightning bolt heading straight for me. I heard Alice and Bella screaming and the voices of Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper in my head yelling, _"Edward, get OUT of there!"_

**_End Note: Well, OF COURSE there is going to be another chapter, just as soon as I get a WHOLE BUNCH of reviews! I know, I know... Cliffy. Can't be helped. I won't make you hang on the ledge for long... just REVIEW!_**


	27. Chapter 27 Absolution

**_A/N OK! Here we go! Everyone hold on to your hats because this chapter is a wild ride! Before we get down to business, I must give homage to one of my Forum Stalker Girls Eoin Cullen who was theorizing about who might wind up dead in this chapter. This is some of the funniest crap I've ever read!_**

Eoin says: 4. I think Vladimir and/or Stefan will die while bringing down as many of the Volturi as they can. Can you imagine their death scene if they die together? *commences giggling*:

Vladimir: Oh...didn't see...  
Stefan: ...that coming.  
Vladimir: *takes*  
Stefan: *last breath*

**_Thank you for making me laugh SO HARD Eoin! Awesome!_**

**_Many many thanks and all my love to Lillie Cullen who rocks my world Hard and Repeatedly! _**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight... Need I say more?_

_**Edward**_

I leapt at the last moment, avoiding the lightning bolt by mere inches. It crashed into the ground and flames burst forth. I didn't have time to think about what a narrow escape that had been. I grabbed Bella's hand as I ran by and headed into the woods. We circled around and found Jasper, who had run into the woods looking for us. The howling, screaming, growling, and snarling in the valley was practically deafening along with the sounds of the bolts issuing forth from Caius' orb.

"He's got to go," Jasper said quickly. I had no choice but to send Bella. She would be the only one who would be able to get close to Caius, the only one who even had a chance. Bella answered my thoughts by telling me she would take Jasper with her. I nodded once and quickly kissed her.

"_I know, Edward,"_ she said inside my mind. I had been pouring all of my thoughts of concern and fear for her life through our connection, but I knew that Bella was strong and ready for this assignment. At that point in time, Bella was probably more prepared for what she had to do than any of us were.

She grabbed Jasper's hand and started running, vanishing as they went. I turned back to the field of battle and lunged back into the fray, ripping the head off of an unknown Volturi vampire just as she was about to do the same to Rosalie. Two wolves who I didn't know immediately flanked me and took the rest of the vampire in their mouths, ripping her apart. They were tossing pieces of the nameless Volturi warrior into a nearby fire and Rosalie and I were on our way to assist Emmett. I noticed the two simultaneous lightning bolts go past and in an instant, I heard the yelps of two wolves. I turned my head to see the two wolves that had just helped me lying dead on the ground.

Several of the wolves howled and I was overcome with anger. I began tearing every vampire that had on a cloak to shreds as fast as I could. Emmett, Rosalie, and I attacked a group of three of them who were doing their best to annihilate the Denali family. Zafrina and her sisters joined us and the six of us mowed down a few vampires. It suddenly occurred to me that the number of Volturi had not decreased much, despite the number of kills we had under our belts.

I caught a scent on the air and my head whipped up to see another group of ten Volturi guard members moving in from the north. Not only that, they had Gianna with them, who was, undeniably, still human. _What the hell?_ I was trying to concentrate on fighting against all the powers that were coming at us from every side along with searching through the clamor of all the voices that were inside my head. I needed to find Bella. Finally, I was able to pick out her inner voice from all the rest. I was relieved when I heard her.

_Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still,  
__Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will!  
__Where shall we dine? O me! What fray was here?  
__Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.  
__Here's much to do with hate, but more with love.  
__Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!  
__O any thing, of nothing first create!_

She was obviously reciting Romeo and Juliet to distract herself from the human scent. I concentrated on her as I pulled our family together, trying to take away the element of division. Jasper's inner voice broke through Bella's. _We're almost there, Edward. Did you see the group approaching from the north? There's a human with them, _he warned.

Inside my head, I muttered, _Thanks for pointing that out, Captain Obvious. _Perhaps if a warning had come just a minute earlier…

The lightning bolts stopped and I snapped my head to the side to see Caius' head rolling down the hill. Stefan picked it up and held it above his head triumphantly while Vladimir stormed the rest of the way up the hill. Caius' body was still struggling, but the orb lay on the ground at his feet.

Aro was shouting and pushing Marcus away from Caius' decapitated body, which seemed to be chasing them. I glanced around and took off running as fast as my legs could carry me. Several vampires were right behind me along with Sam, Paul, and Seth.

As we reached the top of the hill, I skidded to a stop in horror. Jasper was fully visible and fighting fiercely with Caius' still moving body. Caius' arms were desperately pulling on something that was invisible and Bella's voice was in my head screaming in desperation. _"Edward! Help! I can't… Nooooo!"_ It happened so fast that there was no way for me to stop it. Aro had figured out that someone invisible was killing Caius and had rushed forward, grabbed Bella, and was pulling opposite Caius. Vladimir snuck in and grabbed the orb. He ran down the hill with it towards Stefan. I could tell from their collective thoughts that the orb had been stolen from their family when Aro, Caius, and Marcus had fought them centuries ago.

I heard Carlisle shouting at them to burn Caius' head. They were arguing with him in their ridiculous manner of completing each other's sentences. Carlisle was growing angrier with each passing second and I heard words of rage coming from him that I had never heard before. I looked down to see Emmett, Eleazar, and Carmen approaching Carlisle to provide assistance and breathed a sigh of relief. Quickly I returned my attention to what was happening to Bella.

Unable to maintain her concentration, Bella became visible in Aro's arms who looked rather smug. He was struggling internally with the desire to keep Bella versus the desire to kill her for removing his beloved twins. He was also rather incensed by the fact that he still could not read her memories while touching her. I knew that it was imperative for Carlisle to get Caius' head away from the dummkopf twins and burn it immediately so that we could all concentrate on killing Aro. Marcus was fairly unconcerned so I wasn't worried about him at the moment. He didn't seem to care about what was going on around him.

I grabbed Caius body to assist Jasper and Aro was pulling harder on Bella. We couldn't pry Caius hands off her no matter how hard we tried. I was amazed at his strength for as old as he was, as well as Aro's. Bella was fighting hard, and she was the strongest of us all, and couldn't get away. Suddenly she shrieked, a tearing sound, and Aro had her in his clutches, her arm still firmly in Caius' hands. Several other Volturi guard members had come to aid their masters and Sam, Paul, and Seth were holding them off. The vampires who had followed me up the hill, several of our nomad friends, were trying to help the wolves.

"Carlisle! Burn that head NOW," I screamed, still grappling with Caius' hands trying to pry Bella's arm out of it.

"I wouldn't advise that," Aro sneered, holding Bella around the neck.

"Let her GO," I spat back at him.

"And just why would I want to do that?"

"Because you'll never take her from me. Ever."

"It seems I already have, Edward. Now I just have to decide whether I want to keep her as a pet or kill her. She killed my other pets, so it's difficult for me. But of course, you already knew that, didn't you?"

Emmett appeared next to me and the three of us made quick work of getting Bella's arm out of Caius' hands while I continued to argue with Aro. Jasper and Emmett wrestled with his body to take it away to burn it. I could tell by Carlisle's thoughts that he was finally convincing Stefan and Vladimir to give up Caius' head.

"I know everything there is to know about what's going on here, Aro. You know that. Give me my wife or I'll be forced to take her from you with extreme prejudice."

"Now, Edward, veiled threats are useless because I know that you would not want to hurt your wife in the process. You've already managed to take off her arm," he said, with a flourish of his free hand.

I felt my jaw clench and my muscles tense. How dare he accuse _me_ of causing such damage to my Bella! I knew that he was trying to provoke me and I was desperately trying not to let him get to me. Bella reconnected with my mind and I heard her inner voice telling me to kill Aro no matter what happened to her.

"_Just protect my mind Bella. Protect it all. Give me the same protection that you have."_

"_I promise, Edward. I won't let anything out. Just kill him. As long as he is alive, we'll never have a moment's peace."_

When I began speaking to Aro, I found that my jaw was clenched so tight that I couldn't pry my teeth apart, so I seethed through them, "I did not cause any damage to Bella, Aro. YOU are the one who took off her arm! Now give her to me so I can put it back." I was stalling, waiting for help to arrive, and Aro knew it.

"No, no, no, Edward. You know I'm not going to do that. I've decided to keep her. She will make a nice pet. I'll put her in a cage and keep her until she bows to my will and decides to stay with me of her own volition."

I stepped forward menacingly and said, "No you won't! I'll see her _dead_ before I'll see you take her!"

Aro touched his temple thoughtfully and tapped on it. He was contemplating my challenge. He was angry with Bella for killing the twins, and even more angry with her for Caius' demise. Just then, his head jerked towards the valley floor and a mighty scream came from one of the fires that was burning. I dared not turn my head to see what he was looking at lest he try to disappear with Bella. Instead, I combed the minds around me to find that Carlisle and Eleazar had finally gotten Caius' head and thrown it in the fire. Jasper and Emmett were tearing his body to pieces and throwing it into a different fire. I heard another shriek and used my mind to search for the source, only to find that it was Carmen. She had found a bit of Tanya's clothing near a raging fire. I had known, but had tried not to think about it. We all knew the risks. There wasn't time to mourn the dead yet.

"I suppose that could be an excellent punishment, Edward." I had never been as angry as I was when I saw his thoughts and saw what he was thinking. He actually thought that he could force me to kill Bella and then kill me himself.

The only word I was capable of uttering at that point was, "Seth," and then I pounced. Bella was trying her best to help me, but the way Aro was holding her, she wasn't able to do much. Seth was there immediately and jumped on Aro's back, effectively forcing him to the ground. Rather than going for his head, I let Seth, who had his large jowls locked around his neck. I went for Bella. As strong as Aro was, with the rage I had inside me, it didn't take much effort at all, it seemed, to remove his arm that was holding Bella. Bella squealed and scrambled away towards her severed arm. Emmett and Jasper were there in an instant helping Bella to reattach her arm, then Emmett came to my aid while Jasper and Bella helped Sam, Paul, and the other vampires with the remaining Volturi guard that were trying to protect their leader.

Seth was finally able to sever Aro's head and I grabbed it, holding it in the air. I shouted across the valley. "Two of your leaders lie dead at our feet! Surrender now and we will spare the rest of you. If you do not surrender, you will meet the same fate!"

All fighting stopped instantaneously and I lobbed Aro's head into Carlisle's waiting hands below me, who unceremoniously tossed it into a nearby fire and stayed to make sure that it burned. Seth trotted to the bottom of the valley with part of Aro's torso in his mouth, tossing it into a different fire. Sam and Paul both came over, picked up a few of Aro's limbs in their mouths and ran down to different fires with them. Emmett and Jasper started gathering up the remaining pieces and lobbing them down the hill into the fires that were seemingly burning everywhere. The rest of the wolves and friendly vampires started herding what was left of the Volturi guard into a group, including Gianna.

I turned to look at Marcus who blinked at me. He was confused by what was going on. I looked around and saw that Chelsea was not with the remaining Volturi who were all looking a bit dazed. It occurred to me that Chelsea had been the one keeping the Volturi together for some time. Apparently, not all of them had been happy with Caius and Aro, so Chelsea had to work extra hard to keep them all together. As I started running down all the Volturi members in my mind, I realized that with all the dead, there were only nine of them left. That was the seven that we had captured and the two Volturi wives who had, apparently, stayed in Volterra. Sulpicia and Athenadora, who were the wives of Caius and Aro respectively, were sure to want revenge for their mates' deaths. I shook that thought from my mind. We would deal with that later. It was time to start figuring out who among our side had lived and who had died.

I shouted to Sam, "Can you leave a group to watch over these seven while you and I assess our losses?"

Sam quickly sent Leah to help Paul and Seth to watch over our captured members of the Volturi. Sam joined me and we began the tortuous journey through the valley to count the dead. As we were gathering bits and pieces of dead vampires and tossing them in the fire, Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle, and Eleazar joined us. Bella, Alice, and Rosalie were all hugging each other. Carlisle was blocking me so I finally stopped and stared at him.

"What are you trying to hide, Carlisle?"

He called to Bella first, then said, "Go find Esme," and pointed.

Bella and I ran, hand in hand, to where she had left Esme with Jacob. When we arrived, Esme's sadness and words of apology in her mind were overwhelming. She sat with Jacob's body, which was now still and in human form. Bella dropped to her knees next to him.

"No, Jacob, no, no, no…" she sobbed. I kneeled next to her and examined Jacob's body. He had obviously had fatal internal injuries as well as a large gaping wound on his side that had bled profusely. Esme stood and walked slowly away. She was terribly sad.

I put my arm around Bella and pulled her to me. She clutched onto me and leaned her head into my chest. "He just got married, Edward," she said with a crack in her voice.

"I know, love. I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say. Jacob and I had certainly never been endeared to each other, but he had always meant a lot to Bella, and for that, I was sad. "Come, love. Let's take him out to join the other dead from his pack," and I stood, picking Jacob's lifeless body up off the ground.

Bella walked silently next to me as we walked out of the woods and laid Jake's limp body next to the other four dead members of the pack. Five wolves dead. From the minds of the other wolves, I found that two of these were Collin and Brady, the two young members of the pack that had been left behind to protect La Push during our fight with the newborns. The other two were Jason and Nathan, the last two wolves to phase just after we had left Forks.

We returned to Carlisle and Eleazar. Our families were both intact, save for Tanya. Carmen, Irina, and Kate were crushed by Tanya's loss. They were thankful, however, for Tanya being the only loss between our two families. We had lost a few other vampires. Most notably, Randall, a nomad friend of the family, Tia, from Egypt, and Charles, another nomad friend, along with his mate, Makenna. Alistair had left, along with Amun, Kebi, Liam, and Siobhan. Our losses were not too great, but we mourned each of them nonetheless.

The Volturi had not been nearly as lucky as we had. They had suffered severe losses. Marcus, Demetri, Heidi, Felix, Corin, Santiago, and Morgan were the only ones left living. All of the others were dead and their bodies were burning in various fires throughout the valley.

Leah, Paul, and Seth brought the remainder of the guard to us. We took over the task of deciding what to do with them and keeping them together while the wolves went to take care of their dead. They all ran into the woods and came out moments later in various stages of dress. Most of them just had on cutoffs. They surrounded the bodies of their departed pack members and were all speaking in their native language.

Carlisle approached Marcus and spoke softly to him. "Marcus, this is not what we wanted to happen. You need to tell us what you want here."

Marcus looked at Carlisle curiously and said, "How is it that you all have so much love for each other? Not just your mates, but everyone?" I could tell from Carlisle's expression that Marcus' questions caught him completely by surprise. I could see in Marcus' thoughts that he was somewhat relieved to be free of the feeling that he had to stay with Caius and Aro.

"Marcus, we each value the others' lives. Not just as vampires, but our human sides as well," I answered. Marcus turned his gaze on me.

"You have destroyed the Volturi. There is none left but those of us you see here and the wives back in Volterra. We are at your mercy." Marcus bowed his head to me and I was taken aback. I looked at Carlisle, who was also reeling with shock. Vladimir and Stefan immediately stepped forward.

Vladimir started with, "The power that the Volturi…"

"…had was stolen from us many…"

"…centuries ago. We stake our…"

"…claim to take back…"

"…that power which was taken…"

"…from us by you, Aro, and Caius."

I shook my head. The way they talked, as though they were two entities sharing the same mind was unhinging me. "Now, wait a minute, if the Volturi are destroyed, I, for one, am not going to stand by and watch another group of vampires seize that type of power again, and I think you will find that most of the rest of our group agrees with me."

"Who, then, will punish…"

"…those who break the laws…"

"…of the vampires?"

Jasper spoke up and said, "All of our kind should hold the others of our kind accountable for following the rules. It shouldn't be left up to any one group."

"I agree," Carlisle said with a nod of his head.

"So do I."

"I'm with them," Emmett said, stepping forward.

Eleazar said, "I tend to have to agree with that myself."

Vladimir and Stefan stood silently staring at all of us for a moment, and then they relaxed their posture.

"We can see…"

"…that you are…"

"…all in agreement…"

"…so we propose this."

"We will not interfere…"

"…with any other vampire or…"

"…group of vampires unless…"

"…we see that no one else…"

"…is going to step forward…"

"…and remedy the problem."

All of us looked around at each other, nodding our heads. At least it sounded reasonable. We could only hope that they would stick to their word. They turned to what remained of the Volturi vampires and said, "If there are any among you…"

"…who wish to join us, you are…"

"…welcome to do so. Otherwise, you…"

"…are free to do as you wish."

Morgan, Corin, and Santiago all agreed to go with Vladimir and Stefan. They were the newest members of the Volturi and really didn't know life outside of a coven. Heidi and Felix looked at each other and I could see by their thoughts that all they had wanted for a long time was just to be together. Marcus approached Eleazar and said, "Might I spend some time with your… family… before I decide what I'm going to do now? I would like to bring Gianna and…"

I quickly hushed him. I nodded my head at him so he would know I knew what he was thinking, but I didn't want the wolves to hear that he planned to change her. That might not go over so well with them. Marcus' thoughts were exploding with the possibilities since he was free of Aro and Caius. I found that I was actually happy for him.

"Of course you can, Marcus! We'd be delighted!" Eleazar answered.

Demetri seemed to be deep in conversation with Kate and I suspected that the Denali family would be growing not by just one member, but three. Everything was coming together rather nicely. Bella came to stand next to me and slipped her hand in mine with a smile.

"We made it," she said.

I nodded, took her in my arms, kissed her deeply, and said, "Yes, my love. We made it."

**_End Note: Edward is in the back room with his cans of whipped cream and chocolate sauce just waiting for those few more reviews we need to bump us over the thousand review mark so don't forget to click! I know the chapter is short... but it was worth it wasn't it? We're in the home stretch now, just a few chapters to go! *tear*_**


	28. Chapter 28 Endings and Beginnings

_**A/N I have a few housekeeping items to catch up on here. First of all, several chapters back I used the song "Tiny Dancer" and forgot to tell you all why... I loved hearing all the theories by the way, but my reasoning was actually quite obscure. It was homage to the movie "Almost Famous". If you haven't seen it, watch. It's a great flick. There is a scene in the movie where they have had a pretty bad day and they are all on the tour bus together. Tiny Dancer starts playing on the radio and they all start singing along. It makes all the 'bad' of the day go away and by the end they are all smiling again. It's one of those songs that just makes you feel good when you sing it! **_

**_Next item: Edward is pleased to present you all with his striptease... He is covered in chocolate sauce, whipped cream, cherries, sprinkles, and whatever else you all would like on an 'Edward Sundae'. Please enjoy! It is Edward's and my way of thanking you all for helping us reach our goal of 1,000 reviews. We could not have done it without every one of you who reviewed!_**

**_Third item: This is officially the last chapter of this story. There will be an Epilogue and then we will be done! I'm SO SAD that it's over, but I think the story has told itself. I will get the Epilogue posted soon as it has been written in my head for several months now. I so appreciate the support of all of my readers throughout this story. All of your reviews, PM's, favorite adds, alerts, everything has meant so much to me and has made my first fanfic experience a great one!_**

**_Last item: In addition to my readers, there have been several other people who have made this story a wonderful experience. Lillie Cullen... you are a goddess among women. If not for this story, I may never have met you, and if I had never met you, I may never have posted this story. Thank you for being there for me every single day, for listening to my insecurities, talking me through the hard times, celebrating the successes, and becoming one of the best friends I've ever had while we were on this journey together. If this story brought nothing else to me, it brought me you, and that is something I will cherish forever. Thank you, for everything. _**

**_Lillie is not the only friend I have made via this story, and there are a few others that stand out: Amy, Militza, Eoin, Jen, Taffy, cptnsassypants, Voluptuous Vamp, and Phoenix Rising. You all have been wonderful on my thread and to chat with and get to know and be friends with. I bless and thank you all for your friendship. I could not ask for a better bunch of 'Forum Stalkers' than the ones I have. If there's anyone I left out, I'm sorry. I love you all. I'm just too teary eyed right now to think right. :)_**

_Disclaimer: Although SM owns Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and all the characters therein, I own Ascension, European Edward, Invisi-Bella, EdCom, Bella's Revenge, the Mile High Club, and an Epic Battle that unseated the Volturi. Although I wish I owned Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, I think I'm happy with owning Ascension rather than Breaking Dawn. Sorry Stephenie, that's just the way it is._

_**Edward**_

I released Bella and we turned to walk, hand in hand, to the pack. I could hear in their thoughts that they were concerned about where to bury their dead. They didn't think they could make it back to La Push with the bodies, but they had to bless the ground they buried them on. I decided that I could be of assistance and approached Sam.

"Sam, I'm so terribly sorry about your losses." Bella reached for him and pulled him into a hug. Sam was surprised, but hugged her back affectionately.

"I would like to help with your dilemma." Sam cocked his head to the side and looked at me with curiosity plain on his face. "Your dead, Sam, I would like to offer a place for you to bury their remains."

Sam's eyes lit with understanding as he replied, "What did you have in mind, Cullen?"

I gestured towards our house. "We own most of the land around our house. You're welcome to find a suitable area and bless it, prepare it however you need to, and bury them there. Any member of your tribe would always be welcome to visit their graves there and you wouldn't have to worry about their graves being desecrated."

Sam glanced around to the other pack members who were all nodding their heads in agreement. He turned back to me and said, "That's a very generous offer. We accept, and we thank you."

I nodded once and said, "Do you need assistance with moving their bodies?"

Sam bowed his head almost imperceptibly and said, "We would be very grateful." I patted his shoulder and went back to the group of vampires who were still gathered together and talking.

Vladimir, Stefan, and their group of new friends were preparing to leave. I stepped over to them and stuck out my hand to shake theirs. They each took it in turn, saying their goodbyes and thanks for our hospitality. We thanked them profusely for their assistance. Once they bade everyone farewell, they took out at vampire speed across the valley, over the hill, and then they were gone. I turned to find Felix and Heidi approaching Carlisle and myself.

"Carlisle, Edward, we were wondering," Felix started, "if we might stay with you a spell to learn more about your lifestyle." Carlisle and I were of the same mind and I nodded to Carlisle who answered them.

"You're welcome to stay as long as you wish. We would be thrilled to welcome you into our family." They both nodded in appreciation and shook our hands.

I took Carlisle aside and explained what I had told the pack and he agreed immediately. He pulled the family together and spoke to everyone about it. No one had any objections so we made preparations to leave. As we walked the valley making sure that every bit of the dead vampires had been burned to ash, Felix asked me about the wolf pack so I explained to him the difference between them and werewolves. His interest was piqued and I found him to be rather interesting to talk to. I also found myself hoping that he and Heidi would stay on with our family for more than just a short time.

Benjamin, distraught over Tia's death, had decided to head back to Egypt immediately. Maggie had decided to travel with him as far as Ireland so she could return to Liam and Siobhan. We bade them farewell and watched them leave too.

All that was left was the Denali family, Marcus and Gianna, who was thrilled at the prospect of being changed by Marcus, Demetri, who was madly in love with Kate already, Garrett, Heidi and Felix, and our family. Eleazar approached me to pull me into an embrace. "There are no words," I said. His mind told me that he knew what I meant. He knew that I was sad for his loss, happy for his gains, and thankful for their help.

"We're going to return home for a while but you know that you are welcome there any time, Edward, all of you are."

"Yes, we know, and hope you know the same goes for all of you."

"Ah, we count on that," he said with a smile.

"As do we," I countered, smiling as well.

All of us said our goodbyes to them and they were gathering to leave. Bella walked over to Gianna and Marcus and my breath caught in my chest. _What is she up to?_ She reached out tentatively to Gianna who willingly came right to her. Jasper tensed next to me and we watched closely. Bella pulled Gianna into a gentle embrace and whispered, "Good luck, Gianna." A single tear streaked down Gianna's face and she choked out a thank you. Bella released her with a smile and turned to Marcus whom she also hugged. "I'm happy to see you alive again, Marcus. Come see us after, okay?" Marcus was stunned by her kindness and I could see in his thoughts that he was struggling with how to answer her. Finally, he came up with something.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen. I appreciate your kindness to me after… everything. Once we are… settled… we will certainly come by for a visit."

"I'd like that," Bella responded with a smile. She then approached Demetri and hugged him too. "Goodbye, Demetri. You must visit as well."

"Goodbye, Bella! We most certainly will. I feel that I must offer thanks to you for, well, freeing us. It seems we were all being kept against our wills and we will be forever grateful to you and your family for making it possible for us to live again."

"Everyone should have the chance to live as they wish. I'm just happy that if things had to be the way they were, there are those who ended up happy."

Demetri nodded his head to her and said to all of us, "Don't worry about the wives. I will take care of them if there is any animosity or thought of revenge. I honestly don't think they will be all that unhappy, but I'll let you know."

"Thank you, Demetri. If you need any assistance with anything, please let us know," I answered and with that, the Denali family, along with their new friends, left towards their home. Garrett, in the meantime, had decided to stay with us for a while, so we made our way over to the pack to help them with their dead.

I immediately picked up Jacob's lifeless form and Bella stood next to me looking at his face. "I just don't understand why this had to happen," she said softly.

"I know, love. It just doesn't seem fair, but he was fighting for you."

Her eyes pierced into mine and she said, "I think that's the only way he would have wanted to go." I nodded.

"So do I, love."

Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and Felix each picked up a body and we all started towards home. The rest of the pack phased so they could run with us and we were there before we knew it. Esme had a wonderful spot picked out for the pack and she showed it to them. They all agreed immediately. It was near the edge of the woods overlooking the ocean. It was a beautiful spot. We each gently laid the bodies down and left the pack to their preparations. Emmett and Rosalie offered to go to town and get Nara, but I stopped them.

"I think I should go."

"I want to go with you, Edward."

I looked at Bella and thought about this briefly. Finally I said, "Will you be able to control your thirst with her in the car, Bella?"

She shrugged. "If not, I'll get out and run home, but I want to go. I should be there. He's dead because of me. I need to be the one to tell her."

I wasn't entirely sure that it was a good idea to take Bella, but I knew that she felt strongly about being there. I finally agreed and we hopped in the Volvo and headed to town. Bella was fidgeting and I knew she was nervous. "Bella, you don't have to go."

"Yes, I do, Edward. They just got married! Jacob should never have been there and if it had not been for how he always felt about me, he wouldn't have been. I feel responsible for his death and if Nara is to be angry with anyone, I want it to be me."

I sighed. "You aren't responsible for anyone's death, love. They all knew the risks and chose to be there. Please don't take this on yourself."

"I'm sorry, but I still feel responsible for Jacob. At least none of the rest of the Quileute that were killed had wives."

She had a point. Why Jacob had chosen to get married right before the fight was beyond me. I was thinking that over as I drove and realized that Sam and Emily still had not married. I thought back on the Quileute legends and stories that I knew and it dawned on me. Jacob had intended to stop phasing. That was why he got married. And it could only point to one thing. I prayed that I was wrong as I pulled in front of the motel that Jacob had put Nara up in.

I walked to the door tentatively and Bella slipped her hand inside mine. As soon as Nara opened it, I knew that my suspicions were right and my stomach turned a flip. When we had seen her previously, it had obviously been too early for me to hear it, but as she stood before us now, there were two distinct heartbeats. Hers and the faster, fainter one of the child she carried. Bella's grip on my hand tightened and I glanced at her. She opened our connection and practically screamed inside my head, _"Oh my God, Edward she's pregnant! What have we done?!"_

"_Calm down, love. One step at a time."_

Nara greeted us with a tentative smile, looking cautiously at Bella. "Hello, Edward, Bella… to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

I answered before Bella could blurt out anything. I didn't want to put the life of Nara's child in danger by upsetting her too much. "Hello, Nara. We came to get you and take you to our house. As you can see, Bella is doing better with her, um, thirst, and we would like you to come with us."

"Is the fight over?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes. She was looking around behind us and I could tell by her thoughts that she was wondering why Jacob hadn't come.

"Yes, the fight is over, but we have some bad news I'm afraid. Would you mind if we got your things together for you while you sit down?" As soon as I said it, she knew. Her face fell and a lone tear made its way down her cheek slowly. She stepped back into the room, leaving the door open, and sat down in a close by chair.

"He's dead, isn't he?" she asked after sitting down. Bella went and started packing up her belongings while I sat in the chair next to her.

I leaned forward and said, "Yes, he's dead, Nara. I'm so sorry. We all are." I watched her carefully and listened to her thoughts. She wasn't surprised. She knew that he wasn't wild about the idea of settling down already. Her pregnancy had been accidental and unexpected on both their parts. They had quickly married when they discovered that Nara was pregnant after the first time they had been together. Although he had imprinted on her and loved her with all his heart, he had wanted to remain with the pack until some of the others started to settle down and stop phasing, namely Sam.

She looked up at me with more tears rolling down her cheeks and said, "Thank you," she looked over at Bella, "thank you both, for coming. Is there… a body?" she asked hesitantly.

Bella stepped over to her and took her hand. "Yes, Sam and the others are preparing a burial ground. We wanted to get you there so you could participate. I'm so sorry, Nara, for everything."

Nara stood, looked Bella over, and then hugged her. Bella's eyes widened and she stopped breathing, but put her arms gently around Nara. Nara stepped back and said, "He loved you, too, Bella. Never doubt that he cared deeply for you."

Bella nodded and said, "I know, Nara, and I cared deeply for him."

Nara smiled through her tears and looked around. Bella had already packed all of her things. She turned and walked out the door carrying one of her bags.

We arrived back at the house a short time later and took Nara out where the pack was digging the graves and preparing for their burial ritual. I spoke briefly with Sam who asked our family to attend the ceremony later on that night. He also asked if a few food items would be possible for the feast. He feared that since they had little time they would be unable to do the necessary hunting and cooking. I agreed and took Bella back to the house. We rallied the family and headed out to hunt the necessary food for the Quileute burial feast. We found two wild hogs and brought them back. We quickly built a fire while Sam and Paul slaughtered the hogs, dressed them out, and they were placed on the spit. Garrett and Esme agreed to stay and cook the hogs, which smelled horrid, for the pack. The rest of us retired to the house for a few hours before the feast was to start.

We were all so relieved to be alive and together that we all spent a significant amount of time just standing around and staring at each other. Emmett and Rosalie couldn't stand it anymore and took each other's hands to head up the stairs. Alice and Jasper followed suit. Esme was out with the wolves and Carlisle had taken Heidi and Felix into his study to explain our lifestyle in full to them, which left Bella and me alone. She looked at me and grabbed my hand so that I would follow her. The first place she went was into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Her favorite place. I grinned and stripped off my soiled clothes to follow her in.

After we had spent a significant amount of time letting the water run over us and clinging to each other I leaned down and kissed her, trying to let all my feelings of love, relief, joy, and sorrow through to her in that one kiss. She buried her head in my chest and finally let go of all of her emotions. She sobbed, then she was angry, then she denied that anything had happened, and then she sobbed some more. I stood there quietly and allowed her to go through her expected gamut of emotions. Bella was so sensitive to everything around her. She had been so strong during the battle, doing the things she had to do, the things she knew she needed to do to ensure our survival, but it was all coming out. Her anger and fear were the most significant of her emotions but her sorrow at all the deaths, not just Jacob's, was overwhelming. I was finally able to coax her out of the shower and wrap her in a fluffy robe. I yanked on a pair of jeans and led her to the bed. We sat down and I held her some more, letting her rid herself of her devastating emotions. When she was finally beginning to calm down I placed my finger under her chin, as I had done so many times before. I raised her beautiful face to look at mine. I wanted to do something that would make her happy. I couldn't bear to see her so distraught.

"Bella, open our connection, please?"

"_It's open."_

"_Good. I have a promise to fulfill. Are you ready?"_ She looked up at me with shining eyes and I took her hands in mine, facing her. I stared into her eyes and began pouring every single memory of us into our connection. The memories flashed through my mind as I gave them to her. The first time I saw her, the first time she walked into biology lab, the week I spent in Denali, the day I saved her from Tyler's van, the night I saved her in Port Angeles, the first time we went to the meadow, our first kiss, me watching her sleep, all of her dreams, every conversation we ever had, every thought I ever had about her, James, her disastrous birthday party, the day I left her in the woods, every detail of the time I was away from her, the day she rescued me in Volterra, Jacob, Alice's visions about her, Victoria. All of the happy and all of the bad, everything, I gave it all to her. I gave her our wedding day and our honeymoon. I made sure to give her every single detail of our lives since the day I met her. When I was finished, I sat silently waiting for her to say something. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life, giving her all of my memories. I had wanted to edit some of them to save her the pain of some of the memories, but in the end, I wanted her to have them all, the good with the bad.

Several moments passed and she didn't take her eyes off me. Finally, she said, "Thank you, Edward. I… I love you… so much."

I pulled her into my arms and held her tight. I kissed her hair and stroked her back and whispered, "I love you, too, my angel. You are everything to me."

Emmett knocked on the study door, pulling us from our moment. "Hey, guys? Come on. It's time."

Bella placed a small, but meaningful, kiss on my lips and rose to dress. I pulled a black t-shirt over my head and when she was ready, we set out, hand in hand, to the burial ceremony.

All the pack members were around a large bonfire. I almost felt like an intruder, but we took our places and joined them in their celebration. They had been busy. They had chopped down trees and hollowed out logs that would hold the bodies of the five boys. They had dug graves that would accommodate each of the five logs and had gathered rocks to place on top of the graves. After several hours of feasting, dancing, telling stories, and chanting in their native tongue, they lowered the logs into the graves one by one and began covering them with earth. The rocks were placed one by one with each member of the pack taking a turn to place a rock. With each rock that was placed, the pack member would tell of a memory they had about the dead boy. It was rather moving. Once they had all placed their rocks on each of the five graves, Sam turned to us and invited us to place rocks on any of the graves that we desired. He asked that if we did, we share a memory when we did it. Bella immediately hopped up and grabbed a rock, stepping towards Jacob's grave. I moved at lightning speed to stand behind her. She looked around at everyone there and then she spoke, her voice cracking.

"I have many memories of Jacob. Some of them, due to my change, are very distant, as though they happened in another life. Well, they did happen in another life. My human one. At any rate, Jacob saved my life at one of my lowest times and I didn't treat him fairly. I've felt badly about it, but didn't know how to make it up to him. Well, now I know. I'll remember him. Forever. I often hoped for happiness for Jacob and it seems that once he found it, his life was ended, so maybe it just wasn't meant for him. I love you, Jacob, I'll remember you always."

She laid the rock on Jacob's grave and collapsed into sobs against my chest. Emmett and Jasper came over and took her from me. They took her back to Rosalie and Alice who were doing their best to console her while I picked up a rock. I looked down at it thoughtfully then said, "Jacob and I weren't always the best of friends. I guess that happens when you both care deeply about the same woman. I am grateful to Jacob for a few things though. First, and foremost, I'm thankful to Jacob for holding Bella together during the months that she and I were apart. I know that he never understood the bond between us and I regret that I was unable to successfully explain it to him. He was a good friend to Bella and was there when she needed him. He was also a good friend to all of us and was there when we needed him as well. We'll always remember him as a brave warrior who died fighting for something he believed in and that makes him a hero." I placed the rock on Jacob's grave and then picked up four other rocks. I placed one on each of the other graves and said, "They all died as warriors and deserve to be remembered as such."

I made my way over to Bella and took her into my arms. We sat down side by side and watched the rest of the ceremony. After the graves were all suitable in Sam's eyes they ate and sat down to talk with all of us. It was an amiable conversation and by the time the sun was rising, the fire was dying down, and Sam requested to talk with me away from the others. He, Bella, and I walked along the coast for a ways and he finally said, "Would it be possible for some of the boys to go to the house and sleep in a bed for a few hours before we have to leave?"

"Of course, Sam. As long as they don't mind sharing, there's plenty of room for them to all find a comfortable place, including you." Sam studied me for a minute.

"Alright, Cullen. I might have to take you up on that. I don't remember the last time I slept."

Bella spoke up, "Actually, Sam, I know of a really great place for you to sleep, come on, I'll show you," and led him towards the house. She took him inside to our room with the piano and the big fluffy couch. She pointed to the couch and said, "How does that look?"

"That looks great," Sam said with a smile, "thank you." He may have been out before he got all the way down on the couch. Bella closed the door behind us and we went to find the rest of the pack and get them settled in.

Once we had them all settled in, I looked at Bella, wrinkled my nose, and said, "We'll have to burn all the furniture to get that smell out," with a smirk. She smacked me in true Rosalie style.

"Edward, be nice."

"Oh, I am being nice, love." She smacked me again and I chuckled.

Alice walked in the house, grabbed the nearest laptop, and walked back out. "God, we're going to have to burn the house down to get that smell out."

I raised an eyebrow at her and said, "Alice, be nice."

She flipped me off and said, "I am being nice, Edward."

Bella guffawed and Emmett joined her. We immediately all started wrestling in the back yard. After Bella had beaten everyone, including Emmett, we all lay on our backs laughing. It had been a while since we had all been able to have fun together.

Carlisle had left that morning to drive Nara back to the ferry. She had insisted she could make it the rest of the way home. She had been very sad, but quite kind and thankful to all of us for the respect we had shown Jacob. She was going back to her parents to avoid going immediately back to La Push. It was going to have to be up to Sam to let the rest of the tribe know what had happened to the five boys. Carlisle showed up on foot and looked down at the lot of us laying in the grass and laughing. He shook his head and sat down on the ground.

"Well, what do we do now?" Carlisle's thoughts were ranging from moving away to settling where we were for many years. He didn't want to give up his medical practice, but he didn't want the Quileute bodies to be left alone either. I sat up and thought for a moment.

"I think that we should stay, at least for now. Bella and I can occupy ourselves with online classes. She's doing very well and it won't be long before we'll be able to take her out in public. I think that when we get ready to leave, we need to offer this place to the Quileute. They can use it for a vacation place or something and at least the boys' families will have someplace they can stay if they want to visit their graves." I shrugged my shoulders. "What do the rest of you think?"

"Dude, I think that's a great idea. Let's hang here for a year or so and when we leave, we'll just give it to them. They can do what they want with it." I nodded in agreement with Emmett, as did Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, Esme, and Carlisle. I turned to look at Bella who was staring out over the water.

"What if we gave the place to Nara?" she asked. I thought about this for a minute and came up with a better idea.

"What if we just set up a fund for Nara?" Bella looked over at me with curiosity in her eyes.

"Like, a trust fund? To take care of her and the baby? Forever? I think that's a wonderful idea, Edward."

"Jasper? Could you make arrangements for that? I would want it to remain anonymous, of course." Bella nodded in agreement and looked hopefully at Jasper.

"Sure, I can take care of that. Do you want to leave her a portion of this property in addition to that? Just so the Quileute don't leave her out?"

We all nodded in agreement. Problem solved. Nara and her baby would be well taken care of. I hoped that would alleviate some of the guilt than I knew Bella had been feeling since discovering Nara's pregnancy.

The pack all started waking up late that afternoon. Bella, Esme, and I cooked up a huge meal for them and after they had all showered, eaten, and said their goodbyes, they set out for La Push. Before they left, Sam promised to stay in touch. Seth begged to stay with us, but Sam insisted he had to get back home and go back to school. He told Seth he could come see us when school got out. Bella and I were laughing as Seth ran into the woods yelling, "I'm holding you to that, Sam. I'm coming back as soon as school gets out. I'll see you guys over spring break!" and then he was gone. He phased and ran with the rest of the pack. I squeezed Bella's hand as we listened to them thunder through the woods.

Alice and Rosalie had gone to try and air out the house. I was amused when I turned around to find them tossing sheets and towels into a pile in the yard and setting fire to them. "Seriously, can't you just wash them?" I said jovially.

Alice put her hand on her hip and glared at me. "No, we can't just wash them, Edward."

"The smell will never come out in a washing machine, Mr. Fix-it." Emmett laughed at his wife's new nickname for me. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head. I glanced over to see Bella heading into the woods at a dead run. I sniffed the air and smelled it too. Mountain lion. In Alaska. Again. It was definitely time for us to have a good meal.

_**Bella**_

After Edward and I had found the stray mountain lions and feasted on them, we found a nice quiet place in the woods and laid down on the bed of pine needles that covered the floor. After everything that had happened, all I wanted was to be alone with my husband.

Apparently, he was feeling the same way. He wordlessly took me into his arms and pressed his lips against mine. Our lips molded together perfectly and his taste was even better than I had remembered. It had only been a couple of days, but so much had happened in those couple of days. I finally felt like it was the first day of eternity for us. We no longer had the Volturi to worry about. They would never be after us again. They would never make demands upon our family again. We were finally free to be together and love each other, and that was all that mattered.

Edward released my lips and kissed his way across my jaw to my ear and then down my neck. I shuddered at the sensation of his lips and tongue on my ear. He paid special attention to the hollow of my skin where my neck and shoulder met and my eyes fell closed at the feelings of passion that were being ignited within me. His fingers were magical as they danced across every part of my body, stopping here and there to linger, but never long enough.

We kissed and touched each other for hours, it felt, and finally, at some point, our longing became too much and we found ourselves naked and worshiping each other's bodies alone in the woods. Our skin pressed together was exquisite and I found myself never wanting to let go. I traced my fingers over the rippling muscles in his back while he made love to me, savoring each indentation of his skin. He was so beautiful and all mine, forever. We each climaxed many times, but neither of us was willing to stop, so each time we found ourselves working each other up again until we were at a frenzied state. When we finally were both spent, we lay in each other's arms staring into one another's eyes.

"Your eyes are lighter," Edward said with a fingertip running down my cheek. I reached for his hand and kissed his fingers one by one.

"Your eyes…" …_kiss… _"…are as golden…" _…kiss… _"…and bright…" _…kiss… _"…as I've ever…" _…kiss… _"…seen them." He reached and touched my nose.

"Isabella Cullen, I love you, forever, and ever."

I pulled myself over on top of him and laid my head on his chest, feeling it rise and fall with each breath he took. "Edward Cullen, I love you, for all eternity," I whispered.

I felt his fingers in my hair and I sighed at the mastery with which he touched me as though he had always known exactly how and where and when I wanted to be touched. We were made for each other. It wasn't chance that had brought us together, it was fate. He had waited almost a century for me and I had been sent to him just when he needed me to be sent to him.

We finally decided that we needed to get back to the house so we found our clothes that were strewn all over the place, got dressed, and headed back. When we arrived, Rosalie and Alice were done burning the house bedding. Edward was still laughing at them. We went inside and noted that every window in the house was open and we both laughed at that, too. One point they had was that the house stunk like werewolf really bad!

We found Emmett playing video games and sat down with him to play. It was so nice to just lounge around with the family and not have anything to worry about. Felix was playing chess with Jasper and Heidi was somewhere in the house with Esme. Carlisle had gone to the hospital to work a shift since he had been off for so long. He was anxious to get back to work. Garrett joined us to play video games, something he had never done. It was really hysterical to watch and we all got a kick out of Emmett trying to teach him. I'm not sure how many times Emmett died trying to show Garrett how to play, but watching Emmett freak out when the zombies killed him was a riot.

Later on, Eleazar called to let us know that Marcus had begun Gianna's transformation and that she was doing well. He wanted advice from Edward about how I had awakened so easily. Edward told him that he had no idea how he got so lucky with me other than it seemed that being a vampire had brought out the best in me and seemed to be what I was cut out for. I beamed at Edward for saying that. He had been so against my change for so long, but once it was over and he saw how wonderful things could be between us, I didn't think he had ever regretted it.

When Alice and Rosalie were done changing the beds, they decided that all of us girls needed to get on line and shop for new clothes in 'celebration' of our victory. Alice came and dragged me off the sofa while Edward chuckled. At least she wasn't going to try to take me to a mall just because I had managed to be around two humans in the last few days and not kill them.

As we were shopping, Alice decided to open her email account and low and behold, she had an email from the antique shop in Seattle where I had bought Edward's locket. All three of us squealed and Alice opened it right away. The owner said that he had combed through all his records and found that his grandfather had obtained the locket via an estate sale in Chicago in early 1919. He said that it had been in a box for many years and he had only gotten it out of the box and put it on display a few days before I had bought it.

"Edward, come here, please?" He appeared in the doorway before the words had even left my mouth.

"Does he have any other items from that estate?"

Alice laughed because she had already typed the email back asking the shop owner if he had any other items from that particular estate. She explained that the photos in the locket were some distant relatives of her stepbrother's and that we would like to purchase any other items he might have from the sale.

Edward smiled warmly at Alice when he thanked her. She blurted out, "You're welcome, now go away, we need to shop!" Laughter erupted throughout the house and the sound of it filling the air was a wonderful sound. I had often imagined all the fun times we would all have together and it seemed as though it might finally be coming to fruition.

It didn't take too long for us to lighten the family coffers by quite a bit and when we got done we went back to the great room. I heard piano music coming from our wing of the house so I headed back to listen to Edward play. I hadn't heard him play my lullaby in a very long time and I was excited to hear it. For the first time in what seemed like forever, it was a quiet evening at home with the Cullen family. It was something I had looked forward to for a long time and I settled in to enjoy it.

**_End Note: Please don't forget to review for us. There will only be this and one other chance to review and let me know what you think of this story. I'll post the Epilogue soon. If there is something in the story that you are dying to see how it turned out and I haven't addressed it, please let me know in the review and I'll try to add it to the Epilogue if it fits. Thank you to all of you again... _**


	29. Epilogue

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that SM owns but the universe she created owns me._

**_Lillie... I have no words. Thank you._**

_**Epilogue**_

_**~Bella ~**_

When I was human, Edward used to tell me that vampires were easily distracted and time passed quickly for them. I never really understood that but looking back on the last few years, I understand it much better. Twenty-five years have passed since our battle with the Volturi.

The first year was spent at the house in Alaska. Heidi and Felix stayed with us, deciding to adopt our lifestyle and become a part of our family. They were a wonderful addition and easily adapted to being 'vegetarian' vampires. They even let Alice plan a big wedding for them. It was fun to watch someone else squirm while Alice obsessed over wedding plans. The good news was that we didn't have to have a meal catered because there were no humans there. Rosalie, Gianna, and I were bridesmaids and Alice was Heidi's matron of honor. It was a lovely wedding. Edward even let them use our chateau for their honeymoon.

Garrett stayed with us for a while, but eventually he took off on his own again. He wasn't prone to staying in one place for such a long period of time. He still drops in on us occasionally and is a true friend in every sense of the word. We are always thrilled when he shows up.

Gianna's change went very well and she and Marcus also adopted the vegetarian lifestyle. They stayed with the Denali family for a few years but finally decided to go their own way. They have kept in touch with both the Denalis and us. It has been so refreshing to see Marcus with happiness in his life again. It's made the whole of the battle seem worth it that a few were able to walk away and live their own version of happily ever after.

Athenodora and Sulpicia were initially quite angry that their mates had been killed. There was a period of time when we thought they might move against us, but Demetri, as promised, went to them and took care of the problem. He never really divulged how he convinced them to leave us alone, but he managed to convince them that going against us was not a good idea and that they were better off without Caius and Aro. Demetri has proven himself a true friend, besides the fact that he and Kate are so enamored with each other that they have eyes for no one else. They decided not to marry in the traditional sense, but are mated for life. Alice was disappointed that she wouldn't get to plan their wedding but she has dealt with it.

Vladimir and Stefan held to their promise of not attempting to become overly powerful. The vampire world has been very quiet for a long time. Although we wondered when some tragedy would befall vampiredom, we enjoyed the solace of the quiet years.

Charlie still lives in Forks and is still the chief of police there. When my eyes finally turned from burgundy to golden, Alice got me some contacts and we all made a journey to Forks. Charlie seemed to be a bit shocked by my appearance and the changes in me, but in true Charlie fashion, he didn't ask many questions. Mostly he was happy to see me and I was happy to see him. Being in his house felt very foreign to me, but at the same time, it felt like home. Although I have my journals and all of Edward's memories, everything else from my human life has slowly slipped away. I finally went through a period of grieving for my human life after we visited Charlie, but it didn't last long. Edward has always been able to make me feel better and that was no different. I've often felt badly that Charlie was alone, but he didn't seem to mind it. I never saw Charlie more proud than he was the day that Edward and I graduated from Dartmouth, which is where we went as soon as we were sure that I wasn't going to kill anyone.

Edward and I took all of our classes at Dartmouth together and both received degrees in Art History. After our wonderful college experience, all of us kids got together and approached Carlisle asking if we could forego spending years in high school from then on. Going back to high school repeatedly seemed like nothing short of torture to me so Carlisle agreed that we would all do college instead. Sometimes, however, we just don't do anything but enjoy life, and those are the best times we have.

After our visit with Charlie, we knew that we had to do something about Renee. She and Phil were still in Jacksonville but Phil had finally given up trying to be a major league baseball player. He had a knee injury that helped his decision along. He had moved from player to coach and was an assistant coach of the minor league team he had been playing for. Edward suggested that once we got settled in our house in Hanover, near Dartmouth, we fly Renee up to see us, so that was what we did. Renee was not quite so easy to convince as Charlie was, but she was accepting. She asked a lot of questions that Edward and Carlisle did a wonderful job of explaining away with my illness. Finally, she decided to stop asking questions and enjoy her visit. If there was anything I was thankful for, it was that I didn't have to give up my parents and they didn't have to grieve for my death. Even though I didn't see either of them often, I was able to talk to them and tell them all of the wonderful things that I had been able to see and do. I felt sad that someday I would have to mourn their deaths knowing that I would be eighteen forever. I've always known that they both questioned why none of the Cullens, including myself, ever aged, but they were both smart enough to keep that particular question to themselves. I was thankful because otherwise, I would not have been able to see them at all after a few years.

Wonderfully, Edward and I had been able to purchase a number of items from the antique dealer in Seattle that had originated with Edward's parents' estate. It was one of Edward's happiest moments when we returned to his childhood home in Chicago and restored it using several items that had belonged to his parents. Esme had been a great help with that and we used the house as our home base in Chicago. It never ceased to amaze me how many houses we owned. It seemed that anywhere we went, we had a house that we could all call home.

The best times were the times we spent in France at Chateau de Bella. It was a favorite escape for everyone in the family. Rosalie was green with envy the first time we all visited and wanted Emmett to buy her a palace and name it after her. Emmett had found that rather hysterical and poor Rosalie became the butt of many of his jokes, but in the end, he gave in and bought her a castle in Scotland. Of course, he named it Castle Rosalie and renovated it into a fabulous palace that we all enjoyed. But, Edward and I preferred the south of France to anywhere and spent as much time as we could at the chateau.

About two years after Jacob's death, Nara had met and fallen in love with a wonderful man. He had married her and was helping to raise Jacob's son, whom she had named Jacob Edward Black. I had wondered how Edward would take the news of Jacob's child being named after him, but giddy is the most appropriate word I can think of to describe his reaction. A few years later, she bore her new husband a daughter whom she named Sarah Isabella. Sarah for Jacob's deceased mother, and Isabella for me. I was honored to say the least.

Per our decision after Jacob's death, we had set up a trust fund for Nara and little Jacob. When she remarried, we decided to continue the trust fund. Nara's new husband had a good job, and though they would not need the money to live on, there would be more than enough for them to send both Jacob and Sarah to college when they grew up. Those two children would never want for anything and it made Edward and me exceedingly happy that we were able to do that for them.

Nara was not fooled by the anonymity of the trust fund. She insisted on staying in touch with us via email and regularly emailed us pictures of both children along with updates about their lives. We had been able to watch them both grow up from afar and see that although Jacob's death was a tragedy, we were able to do something good that would not take his death away or make it right, but make it somehow easier for Nara and her son. We asked Nara not to tell the children about us, either what we were, or where the money came from, and she reluctantly agreed and honored our request. Edward and I were both proud to be an anonymous part of their lives.

When Jacob Edward graduated from college with his degree in pre-med a couple of years ago, Edward and I were there in the shadows, watching with pride at his accomplishments. We knew that he was destined for great things and that his first college graduation was only the initial step towards his life. He is now studying medicine at Johns Hopkins University and will make a tremendous surgeon someday. Sometimes I think that Edward is jealous.

Almost all of the Quileute wolves have stopped phasing and are living their various lives out. Leah even found a mate and is happy. Sam and Emily married and have two children. Several members of the pack have kept in touch with us over the years via email. Fortunately, neither of us have ever had to call upon the others for help again. The house in Alaska, along with all the land, now belongs to Nara and the tribe jointly. They were all very appreciative of us letting them use our land to bury their boys and for allowing them to have it when we left. I believe they have taken full advantage of using it for a vacation home and have made it somewhat of a 'timeshare', all taking turns going there.

Seth is the only one of the Quileute that still phases occasionally. The reason for that, we believe, is all the time he has spent with us over the years. While he was young, he spent every summer and every spring break with us that he could. Seth and Edward basically adopted each other as brothers. Edward attempted several times to convince Seth that he needed to quit coming around us so he could quit phasing, but Seth always said that he would rather phase occasionally and spend time with us than never see us. Edward finally gave in on the condition that Seth let us send him to college, which we did. He owns his own construction business now and is making an excellent living. He has put his MBA to good use and makes superior business decisions. We still see him at least twice a year and he is still as endearing as he has always been.

Emmett has permanently taken his place as my big brother and no longer teases me endlessly. Of course, that's because he knows that if he teases me and makes me mad, I won't let him play in my invisible world. We've played some wonderful practical jokes on everyone in the family except for Alice because she always 'sees' us coming. I think Emmett likes being invisible more than I do. I know one thing, had I known before, and if I could have chosen, I would have chosen invisibility. It's been invaluable in so many ways. Edward and I frequently go to tourist spots rain or shine. Rain, we go as we are, shine, we go invisible. I've also learned that I can make anything invisible as long as I'm touching it. I wish someone would have taken a picture of Esme's face the day I made the entire house vanish right before her eyes. Emmett's idea… of course.

Looking back over the past twenty-five years, it's hard to believe that we haven't had any crazed vampires trying to kill us, no tragedies, nothing but happiness, but that's what we've had. I find that I love Edward even more with each passing year and we've had some of the most amazing experiences together. I look forward to many more as we continue our lives through eternity together, just as it should be.

_**~Edward ~**_

As soon as I knew that I could take Bella anywhere without concern about her killing humans, I took her back to the chateau so that we could finish our honeymoon that was so rudely interrupted. It was so amazing in so many ways. One of our side trips was to Paris, of course. There was a lot of Paris that I had not been able to show Bella and I had a mission. I had wanted Bella to see Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower through my eyes so I made it happen. It was one of the most wonderful experiences of our lives and I was so happy that I did it.

The hardest part of my plan had been to convince the authorities to let me rent the Eiffel Tower out for a private viewing, but after the appropriate amount of convincing, and a large number of Euros, they allowed it. When we stepped out of the elevator onto the viewing platform at the top, Bella's breath had been taken away. It brought back her memory of seeing it as a human, but it was also a very new experience to see it through vampire eyes. We spent the entire night up there looking at Paris from every angle and seeing all the details that humans could never even dream of seeing. We stood with our arms around each other and watched the sunrise together. It was one of the most beautiful moments of our collective lives. The suns rays were touching the cathedral of Notre Dame and we were both reminded of the chimera that watched over the city. I'll never forget the words that were spoken between us that morning.

"Edward, look, the chimera," she had said, pointing at them in the distance. I had torn my eyes away from her just long enough to see the very same chimera that had prompted my prayer years before lit up by the yellow-orange light of the sun.

"That was where you first convinced me that there was still a chance that I had a soul, Bella." Her loving eyes had turned and studied my face briefly.

"I never had any doubt that you had a soul because I could see it from the first time we met, and it's a beautiful soul, Edward. I was meant to find you, Edward… meant to make you realize you had a soul. I've always believed, and still do, that God gave us to each other. You were made for me, and I was made for you."

"Before we met, I wasn't sure that I believed in God, but looking back on our years together now, I know, Bella, that you're right. Why else would I have saved myself for ninety years other than for the simple reason that I was waiting for you? When you came into my life, you completed me. God did, indeed, bring us together, and no matter what happens from now on, I will never be convinced otherwise, my Bella, my angel, my love, my savior."

We were different that morning when we left the Eiffel tower. We had finally spoken aloud a truth that we had both known all along. When the odds had been stacked against us, we had always prevailed because we had always depended on our love for each other. No one and nothing had ever been able to keep us apart. Our destinies, our very souls, had been intertwined in fate before either of us were even born. It wasn't chance or coincidence, it was divine intervention. One thing had never, and would never, waver between us, and that was the intense, overwhelming love that we shared for one another. Marcus had told us on more than one occasion that our relationship was different than any other he had ever seen. He had never seen a bond as strong as the one between Bella and me. Bella and I are destined for great things someday. Neither of us know what, but we know that we are. God would not have gone to all the trouble of creating us and bringing us together without having plans for us sometime in the future. Until those plans revealed themselves, and they would, Bella and I would simply enjoy the great gift we had been given. Each other.

It's sunset, almost twilight, our favorite time of day. Bella and I are standing on the balcony outside of our bedroom at Chateau de Bella. The light from the setting sun twinkles on the water of the Mediterranean Sea looking like so many diamonds sprinkled across the vast ocean before us. We can hear the sounds of our family in the background. Emmett and Rosalie are tinkering with my Lamborghini. The words spoken between them are words of love and acceptance. Alice and Jasper are in their study. Alice is helping Jasper choose stocks to buy and Jasper is projecting his love and affection onto her. Esme and Carlisle are in the living room sitting next to each other on the couch, each reading, but with their hands intertwined. Heidi and Felix are down on the beach looking for seashells, walking hand in hand, stopping occasionally to gaze into each other's eyes and share a kiss or embrace.

As for Bella and me, we are sharing the vision of the sunset through our mental connection, which is hardly ever closed now. Neither of us enjoys the empty feeling we get when the other one is not in our mind. It's comforting to hear all of Bella's thoughts as though they were my own, and by listening to her thoughts, I know she feels the same way. One of the benefits that has come from our connection is that we have learned that Bella can block the other voices that I hear in my mind. It took a while to get used to not reading everyone else's mind against my will, but after a few years, I've grown to enjoy not having to listen to the endless drivel.

The sun is finally slipping below the horizon and the first stars are beginning to appear. I slip my arm around Bella's waist and she lays her head against my chest, prompting me to place a kiss on the top of her head. We stand together as twilight slips away into darkness and both of us know that, at least for now, all is right with the world. We are together and we are content and we love each other endlessly, and nothing else matters.

_**Fin**_

**_End Note: Please review. It's been a wonderful journey. Thanks._**


End file.
